PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. \u2014 Residents in Port St. Lucie\u2019s Tradition community woke up to an unusual sight Tuesday morning: a Florida black bear roaming through their neighborhood.<\/p>\n
The bear was spotted swimming in a lake before running through a resident\u2019s yard in Tradition\u2019s Town Park community. Video of the sighting quickly caught the attention of neighbors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s kind of cool because I\u2019m like an adrenaline. I like that adrenaline. I like the chaos,\u201d said resident Jeronimo Alonso.<\/p>\n
For others, the encounter was a little more unsettling.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty crazy. It\u2019s kind of close to home here,\u201d said resident David Hoffman. \u201cSeeing it swim through the lake and then go through the houses, you know, I\u2019ve got a little pet at home. Kind of makes you think twice before you head outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials say Florida black bears typically avoid people and usually move on if they can\u2019t find an easy food source.<\/p>\n
If you see a bear, officials advise giving it space, not approaching it and never trying to feed it. If you come face to face with a bear, stay calm, do not run and slowly back away while speaking in a calm, firm voice.<\/p>\n
Police also recommend keeping pets on a short leash, as dogs can trigger defensive behavior from bears.<\/p>\n
When asked how he would rank an alligator, panther and black bear from most frightening to least frightening, Hoffman put alligators at the top of the list.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d say alligator. I\u2019ve had experience with an alligator, so that definitely is scary there,\u201d Hoffman said. \u201cI live on the water and they come up there. The black bear, from what I hear, I don\u2019t know much about them. From what I hear, they\u2019re pretty docile.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials say anyone who feels threatened by a bear, observes an injured or orphaned bear, or witnesses someone intentionally feeding or harming one should contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife alert hotline.<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfe0 News From Your Neighborhood<\/p>\n
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