According to the social media posts by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the black bear quickly attracted a crowd of onlookers who were trying to take selfies with it.
“Onlookers were trying to take selfies with the bear and he’s clearly not in the mood for pictures. The bear has shown signs of severe stress,” the post said.
Calling it ‘famous last words’, the sheriff’s office cautioned against following the motto of “If not friend, why friend shaped?”
The post further described the bear as “stressed depressed lemon zest” and warned the public against approaching black bears, especially those showing signs of aggression.
Rangers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) were dispatched to investigate following a call from the sheriff’s office reporting crowds of people stopping to photograph the bear. The bear was spotted sitting beside a telegraph pole.
By the time officers and biologists arrived, “the bear had dispersed and walked off into the adjacent woods,” said an FWC spokesperson, in a statement quoted by the Guardian.
The spokesperson added that, based on images shared with staff, “The bear did not appear to be injured. It may have just been overheated and was resting before moving on.”
Black bears are a common sight in many parts of Florida, especially during spring and summer when juveniles leave their mothers’ home ranges to find new habitats. The spokesperson indicated that, typically, bears will move on their own without interference.
“Typically, bears will move along on their own. If you see a bear, give it space, don’t try to approach it, and never feed it,” the spokesperson advised.
He also pointed the public to the advice website bearwise.org and advised to “always give bears as much space as possible”. “Crowding around any bear is never recommended, as bears can become defensive when threatened,” he said.
Many sympathised with the bear in replies to the social media post. “If I were a bear, I’d be stressed with traffic like this,” one X user commented. Another warned against the danger and said, “Leave the bear alone folks! Or become a Darwin Award Winner!”
According to the FWC, there are an estimated 4,050 black bears living in the wild in Florida.
