When a Florida family got a Ring notification while on vacation, they turned on their at-home camera and caught a thief in the act — stealing an Amazon package right from their front door. The culprit, a bear.
The family watched as the bear sniffed the package, turned away and then decided to go back to the package and reconsider. Ultimately, the bear must have decided it didn’t want what was inside the box —cell phone charging cords — because the bear left it on the walkway by the front door.
Apparently bears are common in the family’s Longwood neighborhood, which is located close to several Central Florida state wildlife preserves and parks. It’s not uncommon for residents to see bears strolling in the streets, but stealing packages, that’s a new one.
Population of bears increasing in Florida
The bear population grew enough in Florida that the state brought back a bear hunt in December 2025 following a 10-year hiatus.
There were 52 bears killed during the 23-day hunt. More than half the bears killed came from the Panhandle. The largest bear killed was a 697-pound male in Collier County.
The hunt was held in four regions of the state where an estimated 4,000 bears lived.
Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida bear caught on Ring camera trying to steal Amazon package