Black bear spotted at downtown Orlando’s Lake Eola Park left area overnight, FWC says
The black bear that was seen in a tree at Lake Eola Park in the heart of downtown Orlando on Sunday, stunning parkgoers, left the area in the early hours of Monday morning, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
FWC spokesperson Lisa Thompson said the agency’s staff set a trap for the bear but it wasn’t captured and left the area around 1 a.m. Monday.
Thompson said the bear was likely a “dispersing bear.”
“During this time of year, bears are more active. Juvenile bears are starting to disperse and leave their mother’s home range and may be seen in unexpected areas as they try to find a new home,” she said in an email. “Typically, these bears will move away on their own. If you see a bear, give it space, don’t try to approach it, and never feed it.”
FWC staff arrived at the park about 2 p.m. Sunday, after Orlando police taped off the area.
A crowd of around 20 people, many of whom wandered over from a nearby farmer’s market, formed to catch a glimpse or snap a photo of the bear, which was about 50 feet off the ground in a tree.
Officials had hoped to lure said the bear down with treats, capture it in a cage and release it in the Ocala National Forest area.
It’s unclear where the bear went after it wandered off early Monday.
While unusual, black bears have been seen in downtown neighborhoods before.
In April, a young bear was spotted in the College Park neighborhood. FWC was called and made the decision to let the bear come down on its own. The bear was killed when it crossed West Fairbanks Avenue in Winter Park.
This is the time of year, between spring and summer, that juvenile black bears between the ages of 1.5 and 2.5 years old often go off on their own, the process known as dispersing. Bears are not generally aggressive but can become defensive if they feel threatened.
“Seeing a bear in a neighborhood is not necessarily cause for alarm,” Thompson said. “However, it is important that residents secure food attractants so that bears do not linger in the area. If a bear is not able to find food, it will move on.”
Staff writer Natalia Jaramillo contributed.
