KOVEN SAID THAT TODAY WAS JUST A NORMAL DAY. HE WAS SPENDING TIME IN HIS BACKYARD WHEN HE LOOKED UP AT A TREE AND SAW A BLACK BEAR JUST FEET AWAY FROM HIM. I HEARD SMALL NOISE A BRANCH BROKE LOOK UP AND THERE’S A 150 POUND BLACK. BEAR. MAYBE 10 FEET FROM ME STARING AT ME. I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT IT WAS AT FIRST. I WAS LOOKING RIGHT AT HIM. WHAT AM I LOOKING AT? IT’S LIKE IT’S A BEAR STARING AT ME. DOUG. COLVIN WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE THIS FOOTAGE OF THE BLACK BEAR AFTER HE BACKED AWAY AND CALLED 9-1-1 RIGHT THERE RIGHT THERE HALF ON THAT SIDE HALF ON THAT SIDE WITH HIS HEAD OVER HERE. STARING AT ME. HE SAYS THE BEAR WAS IN THIS TREE FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR BEFORE IT GOT DOWN RAN A BLOCK AWAY AND THEN CAMPED OUT IN ANOTHER TREE HAVE IT HERE IN JUPITER. IT’S STILL HARD TO WRAP MY MIND AROUND THE FACT THAT I MEAN WE’VE SEEN SQUIRRELS AND OCCASIONAL POSSUM OR RACCOON IN THE BACKYARD, BUT IT’S PRETTY UNBELIEVABLE TO HAVE ONE THE FLORIDA FISHING WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION SAYS BEAR SIGHTINGS ARE RARE IN THIS PART OF SOUTH FLORIDA, BUT DO HAPPEN FROM TIME TO TIME. THEY’RE MORE ACTIVE THIS TIME OF YEAR. JUVENILE, BLACK BEARS LIKE THIS ONE TEND TO WANDER OFF INTO UNEXPECTED AREAS. THE FWC SAYS THEY SET A TRAP AND ARE STILL TRYING TO LOCATE THE BLACK BEAR EVERY TIME I HEAR A NOISE. I’M GOING TO BE LIKE ANOTHER BEAR. SO YEAH TAKE A LITTLE WHILE TO GET OVER THIS ONE ANOTHER I WAS SCARED OF THEM, BUT IT JUST DEFINITELY A SHOCKER. NOW THE FWC SAYS THAT IF YOU SEE A BEAR DO NOT APPROACH IT GIVE IT SPACE AND DEFINITELY DO NOT FEED IT NOW FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER A BEAR YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE WPBF.COM REPORTING LIVE IN PAL
‘That’s a bear staring right at me!’: Man comes face to face with black bear in Jupiter
A juvenile black bear was spotted in Palm Beach County, and a Jupiter resident who came face to face with it says he was shocked.Doug Covin said Saturday was a normal day. He was spending time in his backyard off of April Lane, just north of Center Street. He says at around 11:40 a.m., he saw a black bear in a tree just feet away from him. “I heard a small noise. A branch broke,” Covin said. “I look up and there’s a 150-pound black bear, maybe 10 feet from me, staring at me.Stay informed: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News”I didn’t know what it was at first. I was looking right at him and I was thinking, ‘What am I looking at? That’s a bear staring right at me!’” Covin was able to capture this photo and some footage of the bear after he called 911.Share with us: Upload your photos and videos via uLocalHe said the bear was in the tree for about 30 minutes. He said when Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers arrived, the bear ran away. It then went up another tree a block away on Woodside Trail for another hour.FWC officers originally hoped the bear would leave on its own and a trap or tranquilizer would not be necessary. The bear left the tree on Woodside Trail at about 2:30 p.m., and is believed to still be in the area. FWC officers have since set a trap in the area to attempt to relocate the bear.”To have it here in Jupiter, it’s still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that- I mean, we see squirrels and an occasional possum or raccoon in the backyard, but it’s pretty unbelievable to have one,” Covin said.The FWC said bear sightings are rare in this part of South Florida, but do happen from time to time. They’re more active this time of year and juvenile bears like the one spotted in Jupiter on Saturday tend to wander off into unexpected areas this time of year. “Every time I hear a noise, I’m going to be like, ‘Is there another bear?’ So it will take a little while to get over this one. Not that I was scared of him, but it’s definitely a shocker,” Covin said.The FWC gave a statement in response to the black bear. “The FWC is aware of a report of a juvenile black bear in Jupiter.”During this time of year, bears are more active. Juvenile bears are starting to disperse from their mothers and may be seen in unexpected areas as they make their away to other habitats and typically move away on their own. “In this case, the bear has been in the general area for multiple days but has not found its way out. The FWC set a trap in an effort to relocate the bear to a more remote area.”If you see a bear, give it space and don’t try to approach it and never feed it. To learn more about bears and how to avoid conflicts with them, visit MyFWC.com/Bear or BearWise.org. Or read our recent news release at https://myfwc.com/news/all-news/bear-322/.”To report a bear sighting, call the FWC regional office at 561-625-5122. Contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) if you feel threatened by a bear; observe a sick, injured, dead or orphaned bear; or to report someone who is either harming bears or intentionally feeding them.” Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
A juvenile black bear was spotted in Palm Beach County, and a Jupiter resident who came face to face with it says he was shocked.
Doug Covin said Saturday was a normal day. He was spending time in his backyard off of April Lane, just north of Center Street. He says at around 11:40 a.m., he saw a black bear in a tree just feet away from him.
“I heard a small noise. A branch broke,” Covin said. “I look up and there’s a 150-pound black bear, maybe 10 feet from me, staring at me.
Stay informed: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
“I didn’t know what it was at first. I was looking right at him and I was thinking, ‘What am I looking at? That’s a bear staring right at me!’”
Covin was able to capture this photo and some footage of the bear after he called 911.
Share with us: Upload your photos and videos via uLocal
He said the bear was in the tree for about 30 minutes. He said when Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers arrived, the bear ran away. It then went up another tree a block away on Woodside Trail for another hour.
FWC officers originally hoped the bear would leave on its own and a trap or tranquilizer would not be necessary. The bear left the tree on Woodside Trail at about 2:30 p.m., and is believed to still be in the area. FWC officers have since set a trap in the area to attempt to relocate the bear.
“To have it here in Jupiter, it’s still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that- I mean, we see squirrels and an occasional possum or raccoon in the backyard, but it’s pretty unbelievable to have one,” Covin said.
The FWC said bear sightings are rare in this part of South Florida, but do happen from time to time. They’re more active this time of year and juvenile bears like the one spotted in Jupiter on Saturday tend to wander off into unexpected areas this time of year.
“Every time I hear a noise, I’m going to be like, ‘Is there another bear?’ So it will take a little while to get over this one. Not that I was scared of him, but it’s definitely a shocker,” Covin said.
The FWC gave a statement in response to the black bear.
“The FWC is aware of a report of a juvenile black bear in Jupiter.
“During this time of year, bears are more active. Juvenile bears are starting to disperse from their mothers and may be seen in unexpected areas as they make their away to other habitats and typically move away on their own.
“In this case, the bear has been in the general area for multiple days but has not found its way out. The FWC set a trap in an effort to relocate the bear to a more remote area.
“If you see a bear, give it space and don’t try to approach it and never feed it. To learn more about bears and how to avoid conflicts with them, visit MyFWC.com/Bear or BearWise.org. Or read our recent news release at https://myfwc.com/news/all-news/bear-322/.
“To report a bear sighting, call the FWC regional office at 561-625-5122. Contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) if you feel threatened by a bear; observe a sick, injured, dead or orphaned bear; or to report someone who is either harming bears or intentionally feeding them.”