HOLLEY, Fla. (AP) — A young black bear that spent roughly 12 hours roaming around a Florida family’s home had raided their garbage can and approached the front porch while standing on its hind legs.
Tracy Russell tells the Pensacola News Journal the bear arrived Saturday morning at their Holley home. The animal was between 2 and 3 years old and weighed roughly 200 pounds (90 kilograms).
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer used an agency-issued shotgun that fires bean-bag rounds to scare the bear away. The officer also gave Russell and her boyfriend locks for their garbage can, as the bear was likely lured to their yard by an unsecured can.
David Telesco, the commission’s bear management coordinator, says the adult bear population is estimated at 120 in the area where Russell’s family lives.
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Information from: Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com