A bear was captured on surveillance early Monday morning at the Wildwood Country Resort at State Road 44 and Buena Vista Boulevard.
Bill Moyer used a backyard trail camera to capture an image of the black bear. The bear was walking by a 40-inch stake, also captured in the image. The photo was snapped at 5:44 a.m.
There are 1,200 bears roaming Central Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
They are the largest land mammals in the state. Male bears typically weigh between 250 and 400 pounds. Three adult male bears have tipped the scales at more than 600 pounds each. Females are smaller at about 125-250 pounds each. Bear cubs at birth are smaller than a can of soda.
The FWC advises that if you encounter a bear at close range in your backyard or in the outdoors, remain standing, don’t stare into the bear’s eyes, back up slowly and speak to the bear in a calm voice. Don’t run away, approach the bear or play dead. Find a safe place and make sure the bear has an escape route, then yell or bang pots and pans together to scare the bear away.