Alexa Velez
•6/17/2026
Residents in a Collier County community say a family of black bears has been getting a little too close for comfort.One woman who lives in The Shores at Berkshire community off Santa Barbara Boulevard and Radio Road captured video of a mother bear charging in her direction while she was filming the bears near her lanai.The woman was not hurt. She told Gulf Coast News she was scared in the moment but also understands that people are living in what was once bear habitat.The encounter is one of several recent bear sightings that neighbors say have become increasingly common in the community.Peter Puccia, who lives in The Shores, said the incident prompted him to contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission."So that started last week when it got a little too close to my neighbor. I called just to let them know, hey, you know, it's coming a little closer. People are starting to engage with it more now. It's starting to get concerning," Puccia said.Puccia said he is especially worried about his two young children because the bears have been spending time feet from his lanai."I mean it's a bear. So my youngest is two and he has no fear at all. And then my oldest is six and he has autism. So there's always the concern of him not being aware enough to address that issue if it comes up," he said.Another resident, Julie Allen, said she has lived in the community for 25 years and hasn't seen bears this active."Yeah, I'm very concerned because of the walker that I use, and couldn't run somewhere with it. You know, I can hardly walk with it," Allen said.FWC told Gulf Coast News that spring and summer are times when black bears are naturally more active.According to the agency, female bears are teaching their cubs where to find food, young bears are beginning to leave their mothers in search of new territory, and breeding season is getting underway.FWC said bears seen in neighborhoods are often searching for easy food sources such as unsecured garbage, pet food or bird seed.The agency encourages residents to secure trash and remove other attractants to reduce the chances of bears lingering in residential areas.Puccia said he has already contacted FWC twice and hopes the agency will take additional steps to address residents' concerns."Yeah, I mean, I would prefer a plan, obviously. It's 2026. If you want to learn about how to get rid of bears, you can Google it. So I'd prefer that they come and say they have some sort of plan," Puccia said. "Whether it's hey, if you see it, call us and we'll be right over to, you know, try to remove them or we're going to set traps."FWC is scheduled to meet with residents at 10 a.m. Thursday at The Shores at Berkshire clubhouse. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
