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Bear Sighting Leads To Weston School Lockdown

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May 28, 2009 6:47 pm US/Eastern

Bear Sighting Leads To Weston School Lockdown

Manatee Bay Elementary Lockdown Lifted

FWC & BSO Did Not See The Bear

Reporting
Lisa Cilli
E-mail
WESTON (CBS4) ― A Weston elementary school was placed on lockdown Thursday afternoon for a short time after a young black bear was seen near the school.

The lockdown at Manatee Bay Elementary, at 19200 Manatee Isles Drive, did not last long. Biologists searched the area and found nothing, according to Jorge Pino, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

The bear appears to be leaving his mother's home range and looking for a new habitat, the FWC said in a statement. They often end up in other places where bears are rare or absent. 

Biologists said they would move a trap into the area within the next 24 hours in an attempt to capture the 100-pound creature and relocate it to a remote location.

FWC law enforcement officers will also be handing out educational fliers about the Florida black bear, which is considered a threatened species.

About a month ago, residents of the Weston neighborhood Windmill Reserve also reported spotting a black bear in their backyards. The bear was spotted three times in several days. One resident even videotaped the bear browsing around his backyard and then walking away toward some trees.

Jorge Pino said finding a live black bear in South Florida is rare. Prior to the April sightings, the last sighting of a live bear in Broward County was in 1978.

Occasionally black bears have had run-ins with cars. In February, a 200 pound bear ran into a car on the Turnpike near US-27. Black bears are typically found in the Big Cypress Preserve but sometimes travel in search of food. The preserve is more than 30 miles away from Weston.

When asked if the community should be worried about a bear attack Pino responded, "Oh no, absolutely not, there has not been a documented bear attack on human being in the state of Florida, ever."

If you do spot a bear in your neighborhood you should call 911 or call FWC's regional office at 561-625-5122 to report bear sightings or if you have any questions about bears.


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