FWC: Bear seen roaming the Homestead area Captured, relocated to Florida’s west coast
Homestead, Florida. (TodayNews) — Authorities said a bear seen roaming the Homestead area has been captured and moved to Florida’s west coast.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials confirmed on Saturday that the four-legged vagrant was caught sometime on Friday.
Doorbell video captured the wild animal as it walked up to the doorstep of the house and strolled through the Oasis Islands neighborhood, near 147th Avenue and Pacific Drive, on Thursday evening.
The bear was also spotted at a local Publix supermarket and at Baptist Health Homestead.
On Friday morning, residents of the region reacted to the Ring’s video.
“Oh my God! Is that a bear?” Merasita Johnson yelled, “Is he in this community? Oh my God, and I went out for a walk. Are you serious?”
On Friday morning, a passerby photographed the bear after spotting it near Southwest 152nd Avenue and Campbell Drive.
7News cameras filmed the infield police, the infield animal control and the FWC as they tried to track the animal.
Authorities said they set up a bear trap in a wooded area near the area, but did not confirm its capture until Saturday evening.
Mike Orlando, a biologist at the FWC, offers some advice if another bear is roaming the streets.
“Well, we really want people to really enjoy the bear spectacle. It might even be the first time you’ve seen one in the wild, so enjoy the experience,” he said, “but we really need to make sure we treat them with healthy respect, right? Don’t get close to them, don’t try to get close and, you know, take close-up pictures of them, much less try to feed them. Just enjoy them from a distance.”
FWC officials said they moved the bear to Picayune Strand State Forest, located about two miles east of Naples in Collier County.
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