Black bear sighted in downtown Fort Myers parking lot captured, relocated

Officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission tranquilized and captured a Florida black bear spotted in a downtown Fort Myers parking lot.

Adam Brown, an FWC spokesperson, said the trap they brought in was not working, so they used a tranquilizer gun to subdue the 350-pound male bear Monday morning.

The animal will be relocated outside of Lee County to state lands, according to FWC. They said they did not know where it came from.

The Florida black bear was first spotted in downtown Fort Myers early in the morning in the area of Broadway and Victoria Avenue.

“They kind of tracked it and followed it to this location behind us. And then, at that point, they had given us a call. And so we started scrambling some officers to get down here,” said Brown.

The animal was originally found between a box truck and a trailer behind the fence of the employee parking lot of Appliances To Go USA at 2155 Broadway.

“I’m sitting there, just enjoying my coffee in the morning like I typically do, watching your news,” said Mickey Rosado, the owner of Appliances To Go USA, “and there was a picture of my trailer on the news, and there’s a bear sneaking in between the trailer and the truck. I said, ‘OK, that’s an interesting story,’ so I told my wife, ‘Hey, there’s something going on in the yard,’ and she told me I better go get myself over there.”

The bear roamed freely in the lot but was secured in the fenced area of the appliance store. It appeared to have climbed over a fence to get into the lot.

“Ultimately, we could tell from the the atmosphere here, a lot of noise and a lot of stress added to that bear. It didn’t seem interested at all in eating. And so we decided it probably best to take action,” said Brown.

There were three Florida Fish and Wildlife trucks on the scene, along with Fort Myers Police officers.

“I feel great. I’m very at peace, I’m at ease that everything was so smooth to be done. Very professional,” said Rosado. “But again, we invaded their territory. So you’re sympathetic. I am very sympathetic.”

How many bears are there in Florida?

FWC estimates there to be approximately 4,050 bears statewide.

They roam forests and swamps, from Eglin Air Force Base in the Panhandle to Ocala National Forest in the state’s midsection to Big Cypress National Preserve in Southwest Florida.

Bears currently occupy 49 percent of their historic range in seven bear subpopulations.

While many subpopulations appear to be doing well, others are clearly still recovering.

What do I do if I see a bear?

FWC recommends that if you encounter a bear at close range, remain standing upright, back up slowly and speak to the animal in a calm, assertive voice.

Do not feed or intentionally attract these animals. If a bear eats something on your property, take note of what it is and secure it once the animal leaves.

Never approach or surprise a bear. If you see one from a distance, enjoy the experience, but do not move toward the creature.

If you are close, do not make any sudden or abrupt movements. Back away slowly and be sure the bear has an obvious escape route.

If you are in your yard:

• Make sure that you are in a safe area and that the bear has a clear escape route. Then, make noise or bang pots and pans to scare it away.
• Do not turn your back, play dead, climb a tree or run. Back away slowly into the house or secure area.
• Avoid direct eye contact. Bears and many other animals may view this as aggressive behavior.
• Report any bear that is threatening the safety of humans, pets or livestock, or causing property damage to the FWC.