Bear spotted roaming through Hillsborough County neighborhood

TOWN 'N' COUNTRY, Fla. - A bear has been spotted roaming through Hillsborough County's Town ‘n’ Country community.

HCSO says someone called 911 around 4 a.m. Saturday after spotting the bear along Tampa Shores Boulevard.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) says the bear ended up in a tree off DeSoto Court, about four miles away from the early morning sighting. As of Saturday night, the bear had come down, according to FWC.

"We've had people around here all day long," said Forest Rothchild with FWC. "He's trying to probably stay away, so the more that we can give space, the quieter we can make it, the more comfortable it becomes for them. But in regard to as it cools down, they become more comfortable and they more likely to come around."

FWC says late spring and early summer is typically when bears will most often roam because they're looking for a mate. In those instances, they can sometimes roam beyond their original den.

READ: Florida sees huge spike in wildlife encounter calls from residents

Investigators are urging everyone to report any bear sightings to HCSO at 813-247-8200, or by contacting FWC.

SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS