In an incident that left shoppers amazed and startled, a young bear made an unexpected appearance at a Publix Super Market at Naples Lakes Village Center on Tuesday.
The adorable, yet unexpected, visitor strolled past the supermarket’s entrance, leaving shoppers and employees stunned.
Publix shopper Valeria Jiminez captured a video of her brief bear encounter as she was about to leave, explaining how “It was definitely a weird way to start my morning,” Jiminez said in a statement to FOX 35 News.
The Publix bear, the second viral bear sighting in Florida this week, certainly added an extra element of surprise to grocery shopping. While Florida is known for its diverse wildlife, encountering a bear up close in a busy neighborhood supermarket is a new twist.
But the Publix bear wasn’t the only one making headlines. Last week in downtown Orlando’s scenic Lake Eola Park, a young bear decided to take up residence in a tall tree, capturing the attention of park visitors.
The Florida black bear is a subspecies that can be found across the state, with their mating season running from June through August.
Many people speculate that due to the increasing deforestation for new developments in various areas of the state it’s pushing bears out of their homes, which increases the chance of an unwanted bear encounter.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sent out a reminder to the public last week saying people should be aware that some bears are moving into new territories.
“The most important thing people can do to help these bears is to leave them alone,” said FWC bear management program coordinator Mike Orlando. “Give them plenty of space and let them move along on their own.”
Where shopping is a pleasure… and exciting!!
A black bear stopped by a @Publix in Collier County this morning. A shopper inside took this video around 8:30 am at Publix on the corner of Collier Blvd. & Rattlesnake Hammock Rd.
Maybe it wanted a Pub Sub???
📸: Valeria Jimenez pic.twitter.com/jBLEex03sd
— Gage Goulding – NBC2 (@GageGoulding) June 6, 2023