JUPITER, Fla. (WSVN) — A juvenile black bear was spotted outside of its habitat in a South Florida community, leaving residents on edge.
Jupiter resident Doug Covin said he saw the bear while he was in his backyard, Saturday.
“I heard a small noise; a branch broke. I look up, and there’s a 150-pound black bear, maybe 10 feet from me, staring at me,” he said.
Covin said he backed away and called 911, then recorded video of the bear.
“I didn’t know what it was at first. I was looking right at him, ‘What am I looking at?’ There’s a bear staring right at me,” said Covin.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said bear sightings are rare in this part of South Florida, but they do happen from time to time.
“To have it here in Jupiter, it’s still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that – I mean, we’ve seen squirrels and an occasional possum or raccoon in the backyard, but it’s pretty unbelievable to have one,” said Covin.
Bears are more active this time of year. Juvenile bears tend to wander off into unexpected areas.
“Every time I hear a noise, I’m going to be like, ‘Is there another bear?’ So it will take a little while to get over this one,” said Covin. “Not that I was scared of him, but it’s just definitely a shocker.”
A bear trap had been set. As of Monday afternoon, trappers are still trying to locate the animal.
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