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More than 24 hours pass since black bear sighting in Hillsborough County neighborhoods

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Published  May 27, 2024 9:29pm EDT
Hillsborough County
FOX 13 News

Black bear on the move in Hillsborough County

A black bear spotted in Town 'n' Country on Saturday has made its way to Carrollwood, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife.

TOWN 'N' COUNTRY, Fla. - It’s been more than 24 hours since the black bear seen roaming through Hillsborough County neighborhoods has been spotted. It was first noticed by deputies in the Town 'N’ Country area around 4 a.m. on Saturday and was most recently spotted about five miles away in Carrollwood.

FOX 13 has been tracking the bear since the first sighting on Tampa Shores Boulevard on Saturday morning. By Saturday afternoon, it had climbed up a 30-foot tree about four miles away on DeSoto Court, and bear biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission set up humane traps to capture it. 

"A big thing, though, is to make sure that we’re doing a humane collection or trap, so we try not to use drugs or tranquilizers unless it’s the absolute last resort option," said Forest Rothchild, an FWC public information officer. "We have a variety of treats that are out there for him or her to come down and be enticed by."

RELATED: Bear spotted roaming through Hillsborough County neighborhood

Rothchild said the bear was in the tree for more than 12 hours. It got itself down around 8:20 p.m. on Saturday and was on the ground for 1.5 hours before scurrying up a second tree.

On Sunday morning, a sighting was reported about one mile away. By 9 p.m., the Hillsborough Couty Sheriff's Office received calls about sightings near North Himes Avenue and West Busch Boulevard, and it has not been seen since. 

Rothchild said that the best-case scenario is that it has found somewhere safe to go. FWC said it’s not uncommon for bear sightings around this time of year. 

"Late spring, early summer is a very frequent time for bears to be out and about, because they’re now looking for mates and partners," he said. 

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If you spot the bear, keep a safe distance and do not feed it food or water. FWC officials urge residents to call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

To learn more about FWC's BearWise program, click here.

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