ORLANDO, Fla. – Chris Bayne is no stranger to animals. With 42 fish tanks, turtles and tortoises, he’s built a home that’s practically a personal zoo.
But recently, one uninvited guest has complicated his life.
A large black bear has been roaming his property, knocking over trash cans and even approaching his front door.
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Bayne lives near State Road 417 and Colonial Drive, not exactly rural territory. He suspects the bear is living in a nearby 20-acre preserve behind his home.
Surveillance video shows the bear recently wandering through his yard as early as 8:24 p.m. — just 30 minutes before a pizza delivery driver walked the same path.
“I could be coming home from a late dinner and run into him in my driveway,” Bayne said. “That’d be a little scary.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission advised Bayne to move his garbage cans into the garage, which he did. But the bear keeps coming, especially on garbage day.
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“The big problem I have is on Sunday when we have to take the cans to the curb,” Bayne explained. “He knows that. He’ll go down the street and knock everyone’s garbage cans over.”
FWC says they will only intervene if the bear shows signs of being a threat to public safety. So far, the only aggression has been toward trash can lids.
Bayne is now considering hiring a bear trapper but says it hasn’t reached that level of urgency — yet.
“I gotta talk to my neighbors and see if everyone wants to pitch in,” he said.
If you feel threatened by a bear, or spot an injured, orphaned, or dead bear, you can call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).