ORLANDO, Fla. – A Florida black bear found itself in a dangerous situation Tuesday morning, along the I-4 Express lanes in Orlando.
A viewer named Amy sent video to our News 6 Results Desk of the bear standing against a pole, on a concrete barrier along the highway in the area of I-4 and Orange Blossom Trail.
Amy said the video was taken from her dashcam just before 8:45 a.m.
Florida Highway Patrol said it knows about the bear. Troopers say they also received a report that the bear was struck by a vehicle, then ran off the interstate.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission teams are trying to find the bear. As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, bear management staff tell News 6 they have received reports of sightings, but haven’t found the bear yet.
FWC spokesperson Lisa Thompson says, on average, 300 bears are killed after being hit by vehicles on Florida roads each year.
Bears can also end up in unexpected places in the summer as they move around looking for food. Female bears are teaching cubs how to forage, and juvenile bears are starting to leave their mothers’ home ranges and travel to find a new home.
While a bear in urban Orlando is rare, it’s not unheard of. Bears in recent years have been spotted in Ocoee and Pine Hills. One bear spent a few days up a tree at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando in 2023.
A bear even shut down a ride at Walt Disney World once.
[WATCH: Video shows wildlife workers working to catch a bear at Disney’s Magic Kingdom (2023)]
“Bear sightings tend to increase this time of year in suburban and urban areas, including in cities like Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa, and other more highly populated areas around the state. If you see a bear, give it space, don’t try to approach it, and never feed it,” Thompson said.
Thompson said seeing a bear in a neighborhood is not necessarily something to be frightened of, and people should give the bear space and secure food so it moves on. Do not feed the bears.
If you spot an injured, orphaned or dead bear, feel threatened by a bear, or need to report someone harming or intentionally feeding bears, please call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).