Man comes face to face with black bear

[ad_1]

SUNDAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU BROOKE PEOPLE IN A PALM BEACH COUNTY COMMUNITY HAD QUITE THE UNEXPECTED VISITOR IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD TODAY A BEAR WAS HANGING OUT IN THIS TREE IN THIS JUPITER COMMUNITY SEVERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WERE AT THE SCENE WAITING FOR THE BEAR TO COME DOWN. STEVE KING JOINS US LIVE WITH THE STORY. YOU’LL SEE ONLY ON WPBF 25 NEWS AND STEVE YOU SPOKE WITH A MAN WHO HAD A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH THAT BEAR. JADE HE COULDN’T BELIEVE WHAT? DOUG COBIN WAS HERE IN HIS BACKYARD. HE HEARD SOMETHING IN THE TREES. HE LOOKED UP AND A BLACK BEAR WAS RIGHT THERE JUST FEET AWAY FROM HIM. NOW. HE SAYS HE BACKED UP STUMBLED A BIT CALLED 911 AND THE BEAR SCAMPERED UP THE TO THAT SPOT RIGHT THERE NOW. LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT A PICTURE OF THE BEAR THAT DOUG WAS ABLE TO SNAP A PHOTO OF NOW. THIS IS OFF OF APRIL LANE JUST NORTH OF CENTER STREET, BUT THE BEAR ALSO WENT TO ANOTHER TREE MOMENTS LATER A BLOCK WEST OF WHERE I AM NOW FWC OFFICERS TOLD US THAT THEY WERE PREPARED TO USE A TRAP IF THE BEAR DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE THAT TREE ON ITS OWN BUT FWC OFFICERS GOAL WAS TO AVOID USING ANY TRAP OR TRANQUILIZER AND THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO ONCE THE BEAR LEFT. TREE OFFICERS BLOCKED ALL OF THE PATHS EAST TO KEEP IT AWAY FROM THE INTRACOASTAL AND THE MORE POPULATED AREAS THE BEAR DIDN’T THREATEN ANY PEOPLE OR PROPERTY AND FWC OFFICERS LEFT THAT AREA SHORTLY AFTER HOWEVER, IT IS UNCLEAR EXACTLY WHERE THE BEAR IS NOW, BUT EARLIER WE HEARD FROM DOUG COVIN AND HE TALKS ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO COME FACE TO FACE WITH THAT BEAR. I HEARD SOMETHING SO I THOUGHT ABOUT BEING A SQUIRREL OR AND I LOOKED UP AND ABOUT FIVE FEET ABOVE MY HEAD. HERE’S THIS BLACK BEAR. STARING RIGHT DOWN AT ME AND I LOOKED AT IT FOR A MINUTE. AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT AM I LOOKING AT? AND IT TOOK MY MIND A MINUTE TO COMPREHEND WHAT I WAS SEEING BUT SURE ENOUGH ABOUT 150 POUND BLACK BEAR STARING BACK AT ME. DEFINITELY THE LAST THING I EXPECTED TO SEE HERE IN JUPITER, FLORIDA. NOW THE FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION SAYS THAT IF YOU HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH A BEAR YOU SHOULD DO A COVID BACKUP AND CALL 911 ALSO, THEY SAY AVOID ANY DIRECT EYE CONTACT WITH THE BEAR THE FWC SAYS THE BEAR SIGHTINGS IN THIS PART OF SOUTH FLORIDA ARE RARE, BUT THEY DO HAPPEN AGAIN. IT’S UNCLEAR EXACTLY WHERE THE BEAR IS NOW. SO WE’RE GONNA KEEP A VERY WATCHFUL EYE OUT HERE AND STAY ALERT, BUT FOR NOW JADE WILL SEND IT BACK TO YOU REPORTI

Man comes face to face with black bear in Florida

Updated: 4:37 PM EDT Jul 25, 2022

A juvenile black bear was spotted in Jupiter, Florida, and a resident who came face to face with it says he was shocked.Doug Covin said Saturday was a normal day. He was spending time in his backyard off of April Lane. He says at around 11:40 a.m., he saw a black bear in a tree just feet away from him. “I heard a small noise. A branch broke,” Covin said. “I look up, and there’s a 150-pound black bear, maybe 10 feet from me, staring at me.”I didn’t know what it was at first. I was looking right at him and I was thinking, ‘What am I looking at? That’s a bear staring right at me!'”Covin was able to capture a photo and some footage of the bear after he called 911.He said the bear was in the tree for about 30 minutes. He said when Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers arrived, the bear ran away. It then went up another tree a block away on Woodside Trail for another hour.FWC officers originally hoped the bear would leave on its own and a trap or tranquilizer would not be necessary. The bear left the tree on Woodside Trail at about 2:30 p.m. and is believed to still be in the area. FWC officers have since set a trap in the area to attempt to relocate the bear.”To have it here in Jupiter, it’s still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that — I mean, we see squirrels and an occasional possum or raccoon in the backyard, but it’s pretty unbelievable to have one,” Covin said.The FWC says bear sightings are rare in this part of South Florida, but do happen from time to time. They’re more active this time of year, and juvenile bears like the one spotted in Jupiter on Saturday tend to wander off into unexpected areas this time of year.”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. Not that I was scared of him, but it’s definitely a shocker,” Covin said.

A juvenile black bear was spotted in Jupiter, Florida, and a resident who came face to face with it says he was shocked.

Doug Covin said Saturday was a normal day. He was spending time in his backyard off of April Lane. He says at around 11:40 a.m., he saw a black bear in a tree just feet away from him.

“I heard a small noise. A branch broke,” Covin said. “I look up, and there’s a 150-pound black bear, maybe 10 feet from me, staring at me.

“I didn’t know what it was at first. I was looking right at him and I was thinking, ‘What am I looking at? That’s a bear staring right at me!'”

Covin was able to capture a photo and some footage of the bear after he called 911.

Courtesy: Doug Covin

He said the bear was in the tree for about 30 minutes.

He said when Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers arrived, the bear ran away. It then went up another tree a block away on Woodside Trail for another hour.

FWC officers originally hoped the bear would leave on its own and a trap or tranquilizer would not be necessary. The bear left the tree on Woodside Trail at about 2:30 p.m. and is believed to still be in the area. FWC officers have since set a trap in the area to attempt to relocate the bear.

“To have it here in Jupiter, it’s still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that — I mean, we see squirrels and an occasional possum or raccoon in the backyard, but it’s pretty unbelievable to have one,” Covin said.

The FWC says bear sightings are rare in this part of South Florida, but do happen from time to time. They’re more active this time of year, and juvenile bears like the one spotted in Jupiter on Saturday tend to wander off into unexpected areas this time of year.

“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. Not that I was scared of him, but it’s definitely a shocker,” Covin said.

[ad_2]

Source link