Watch a bear take a stroll downtown in this Florida city. Was it looking for gelato?
Doing some early holiday shopping or perhaps seeking something sweet?
A black bear was seen taking a stroll in downtown Naples, Florida, in the wee hours of Sunday.
Video taken from across the street by a bystander and re-shared on social media channels shows the animal lumbering along Fifth Avenue, full of upscale stores and restaurants.
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Annette Morrison, who works at the clothing boutique John Pierre Klifa, seen in the clip, told WINK News that seeing the visitor in a major urban area like that was “shocking.”
“We have a gelato shop next door,” she said. “My thought is it’s searching for food.”
According to NBC2 News, the creature was tracked down Monday evening and released into the Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife Management habitat the following day.
The Naples Daily News reports that this bear is the same one that was spotted a few miles away climbing aboard a boat at the Naples Sail and Yacht Club earlier this month.
This isn’t the first time a bear went on a walkabout in an urban area in Southwest Florida. Back in May 2022, a cub was captured sniffing around Mercato Shops, a popular dining and shopping destination that includes a Blue Martini, Chipotle and Capital Grille.
If you see a bear in a public place, you are urged not to call attention to yourself or feed it. Call the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.
READ MORE: Bear appears on ringcam at Florida home
This story was originally published October 13, 2023 at 3:59 PM.
