Police in Florida urge people to stop taking selfies with 'depressed bear'
File photo.
Police in the US state of Florida have urged people to stop taking selfies with a "depressed bear" that was spotted on a roadside. In a post on X, theWalton County Sheriff's office said on Thursday (July 18) that the black beartook up residence on the north side of Highway 98 in Santa Rosa Beach earlier this week.
The sheriff's office said that the animal was getting unwanted attention frompassing motorists. The office said that onlookers were "trying to take selfies with the bear and he’s clearly not in the mood for pictures."
'Stressed, depressed, lemon zest'
The office described the bear as“stressed, depressed, lemon zest.” It urged people not to approach a black bearat any time especially those who showed aggression.
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Black bears are a common sight in many areas of Florida, especiallyin the spring and summer.
A report by The Guardian on Friday said that rangers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) were dispatched to investigate after the sheriff's office reported crowds of onlookersstopping to take photos of the bear.
Bear walks off into adjacent woods
The FWC said that by the time its officers arrived, the bear dispersed andwalked off into the adjacent woods. The FWC added that the animal did not appear to be injured, andit may have just been overheated and was resting before moving on.
The commission estimates4,050 black bears living in the wild in Florida.
In June, GovernorRon DeSantis signed into law a controversial bill that allowedpeople to shoot and kill bears for a perceived threat to “a person, pet or dwelling.”
(With inputs from agencies)