JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A bear climbed up a tree at a townhome development on Jacksonville's Southside Friday evening.
About 5 p.m., the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Jacksonville's Sheriff's Office were called to the backyard of one of the homes at the complex off Beach Boulevard and Hodges Boulevard.
"In this case, when you have a lot of kids out here and a heavily populated area, to back off, you incur a lot of liability," JSO Lt. Jimmy Judge said. "If it was a little more rural, and there wasn't a neighborhood behind here, that might be an option to back off and let him move on on his own. But you just got to weigh your options and how much liability you create."
Wildlife officials shot the bear with two tranquilizer darts about 10:30 p.m. Friday.
An hour later, they shot him with two more darts.
Officials said they will wait for the tranquilizer to take effect and then move the animal.
"They like to just back off and let the animal come down on his own. What they're telling me is they're pretty docile, they don't want confrontation," Judge said.
RELATED: Bear tracked through Green Cove Springs
The bear was spotted just one day after a black bear was sighted several times in Green Cove Springs.