SANFORD, Fla. – A bear was spotted stealing food from a fridge at a home in Sanford, Florida on Saturday.
Jason Mickel, the homeowner, sent the video above to News4JAX and said it serves as a reminder for homeowners in Florida to not leave their garages open as he did.
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“Going through my fridge I see, aren’t you?” Mickel can be heard saying in the video. “Take all my food?”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) says the warmer spring weather means bears are becoming more active. FWC says it is illegal to intentionally feed bears in Florida. Bears that keep returning can then be declared a public safety risk and have to be killed.
“Bears will take advantage of easy meals, such as unsecured garbage, pet food or birdseed,” said the FWC’s Bear Management Program Coordinator, David Telesco. “If bears don’t find a food source in the neighborhood, they’ll move on.”
In Florida, black bears are protected by law.
Click here to read more from FWC.