Bears rest in tree next to Altamonte Springs daycare

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Residents in an Altamonte Springs neighborhood are keeping a close eye on three bears.  

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say, eventually. they will come down from a tree across from the Teddy Bear Daycare Center and go back into the woods, without harming others. Still, it's causing lots of excitement and concern for kids safety.

"A little scary, because the cubs, the mamma bear's always protective," said Fanny Upton.   

A mamma bear and her two cubs arrived Thursday morning, giving people quite a scare. 

"We went running inside the house and a couple of minutes later the bear went behind the back yard," Upton said.

FWC officers blame the cooler weather. They say they aren't trapping the bears, because they aren't posing a threat, but some neighbors feel on edge. 

"See if they can take them somewhere where they can be more at peace and the people living in the neighborhood can be at peace as well," Upton said.

She's also concerned, because this is also a bus stop. 

"I'm worried about the kids in the neighborhood because the bus stops right there exactly where the bear's at and if the bear comes down." 

Officers say there's no threat and are warning residents to keep a distance.
Over at the Teddy Bear Daycare Dee says, "Fish and Wildlife says as long as their up in the tree their ok."

They're using this as a learning experience.

"We're keeping an eye on the bear, if it's around we let them know and when they come in we go inside quickly."

Wildlife officers ask neighbors to keep a distance and allow the bears to feel safe and go back into the woods.