Bear spotted near Cantonment apartments

CANTONMENT, Fla. (WALA) - Glenda Hayes is a resident of Wild Oak Farm Apartments.  She says she's has had an interesting few days.

"A friend of mine that lives (in the complex) came up and told me that there was a bear out here. And I looked at him like, 'Okay, uh huh.' And then I walked down and sure enough there's the bear," Hayes said.

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission describe the black bear as a young dispersing male, meaning he's looking for a place to live after leaving the care of his mother.

"It looked like he was hungry and thirsty, and people tried to give him water," Hayes said.  "He didn't act like he wanted to hurt nobody."

That makes sense to the FWC.

"There has never been a predatory attack in the state of Florida whatsoever," said FWC Wildlife Technician Kevin McDonald.  "Florida black bears, they're docile. They're not aggressive like some people think."

FWC said the bear was there for one reason: dumpster diving. 

FOX10 News found his leftovers in the woods behind the complex, which he had called home for the last couple of days.

Residents said they weren't scared by the 150-pound animal, who mostly occupied himself by eating and climbing a tree near the dumpster.

FWC was on-scene Tuesday to assess the situation. If they had encountered the bear, they could have possibly scared him off with non-lethal weapons, or trapped and relocated him. 

But it appears, for now, that he has moved on. But not without first leaving quite an impression on residents.

"He was probably as shocked and surprised by all of us as we were of him," Hayes said. "But he was cool."

If you spot the bear, you're encouraged to call (850) 265-3676.

Just remember to give the wild animal space and respect, and to not approach it.