Residents of the McGregor Reserve neighborhood woke up Friday morning to an unexpected — and wild — visitor: a large Florida black bear strolling across a front yard.
“It’s become our Colonial Summerland bear,” said Priscilla Ahlert, a longtime Fort Myers resident. “We have a few woods around here. It used to be a lot more, but oh my goodness — in the last 30 years, there’s been so much development, we’ve pushed wildlife around.”
But the bear’s adventure didn’t stop in the neighborhood — next, it headed straight to the Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
A surprised local managed to snap a photo of the bear wandering near gravestones.
Tom Coscia added with a chuckle, “It was just trying to find a bone.”
Though coyotes have been seen in the cemetery before, employees at the funeral home say they’ve never seen a bear. In fact, they didn’t believe it until they were shown the photo.
Management at the cemetery conducted a full check of the grounds, but as of now, there’s no sign of the bear. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been notified, and officials encourage anyone who spots the bear to report it.
FWC says this type of encounter is actually typical for young black bears, which often travel far after leaving their mothers in search of a new home.
Still, some locals are concerned.
“We’re worried about our dogs,” said Sue Coscia. “They’re not very big. And if a bear can grab a person, they’re more likely to grab a little dog.”
While black bears are generally not aggressive, FWC warns they may become defensive if they feel threatened, especially around food.
“He just wants something to eat,” Ahlert said. “There’s a lot of garbage. I’ll be glad if I can find him — I’ll keep my eyes open.”
DOWNLOAD
the free
Gulf Coast News app
for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.