An Orlando Reddit user captured video of a black bear roaming a residential neighborhood near Mall at Millenia on Sunday night.
According to Redditor ChewyReloaded, the bear was roaming the Tuscany Townhomes neighborhood and heading toward the community pool.
“Size is hard to tell through zoomed in phone camera but we estimated it to be about 6’ standing up,” they shared. “I was afraid to get any closer.”
Black bears are considered abundant in the Orlando area by the Florida Wildlife and Conservation Commission. According to the FWC’s Assistant Bear Program Coordinator Mike Orlando, 1,200 bears live between the Ocala National Forest and the Wekiwa Basin.
Even knowing that, however, it can be startling to see these bears roaming in such built-up urban areas.
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This article appears in Sep 29 – Oct 5, 2021.