Tampa News

Bear Reappearance in Oldsmar, Tampa: Connection to Previous Sighting?

Published

4 months ago

May 27, 2024

Cory White

A black bear was spotted attempting to raid an Oldsmar woman’s trash can on Thursday night. By Saturday morning, wildlife officers were on the lookout, but the bear had already wandered through an apartment complex on Tampa Shores Boulevard, more than seven miles away.

“We believe it’s the same one,” said Forest Rothchild, spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Adult bears can travel up to 15 miles a day.

Later that afternoon, the bear was discovered 30 feet up a tree in a residential neighborhood in Town ‘N’ Country. A trapper stood ready with a tranquilizer, while officials prepared a cage baited with treats. Once captured, the bear will be relocated to the Ocala National Forest.

“I was really shocked. I’ve been in Florida since 1988 and I’ve never seen a bear around here,” Yan Li told the Times on Saturday. Her Ring camera captured the animal at the bottom of her driveway in the Bay’s End neighborhood of Oldsmar.

A black bear was spotted attempting to raid an Oldsmar woman’s trash can on Thursday night. By Saturday morning, wildlife officers were on the lookout, but the bear had already wandered through an apartment complex on Tampa Shores Boulevard, more than seven miles away.

“We believe it’s the same one,” said Forest Rothchild, spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Adult bears can travel up to 15 miles a day.

Later that afternoon, the bear was discovered 30 feet up a tree in a residential neighborhood in Town ‘N’ Country. A trapper stood ready with a tranquilizer, while officials prepared a cage baited with treats. Once captured, the bear will be relocated to the Ocala National Forest.

“I was really shocked. I’ve been in Florida since 1988 and I’ve never seen a bear around here,” Yan Li told the Times on Saturday. Her Ring camera captured the animal at the bottom of her driveway in the Bay’s End neighborhood of Oldsmar.
“It was as big as the trash can. I was shaking.”

In the past year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received 7,298 calls regarding bear sightings. Biologists note that bears are most active during spring and early summer, especially during mating season. The black bear population in Florida has grown significantly, from just a few hundred in the 1970s to over 4,000 today.

“Something similar happened last year, about this same time, around the same place,” Rothschild said. In June 2021, officials closed Philippe Park in Safety Harbor after a bear was spotted there.

While bears are typically shy and avoid humans, encounters can happen. Although bears in Florida have never killed anyone, they have been known to bite and scratch when provoked. Killing a bear is illegal, but you can deter them with paintballs, sling shots, or bear spray. Experts advise remaining calm and backing away slowly if you encounter a bear. Don’t run or make sudden movements, and avoid eye contact. To report a bear sighting, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Southwest Regional Office at (863) 648-3200. Click to watch video on X