McGregor, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida residents were surprised when they spotted a large creature wandering the yard on Thursday.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said residents from a neighborhood near Shadderry Lane in McGregor woke up Thursday morning to spot Blackbears walking around.
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Photos provided by the sheriff’s office showed him hanging out behind a fence in the backyard of one homeowner.
Lawmakers, along with Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee (FWC), looked at the bears Thursday afternoon and said they were keeping it “for the fur.”
It had only been a few hours before the sheriff’s office said the bear had been safely caught. In the video, the bear was sitting in a trailer sitting in a cage, waiting to be carried by the neighbour.
“Not charged, it’s just a warning for excessive cuteness,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a social media post.
The bears can be seen in almost every part of Florida, with an estimated population of around 4,050 across the state, according to the FWC. Sights occur frequently in southwestern Florida, and bears sometimes enter the neighborhood to find food.
Residents should be aware of their surroundings, ensure trash and pet food, and don’t intentionally feed the bears, the FWC website says.
