Black Bear Goes For A Swim In Naples Pool After Break-In

NAPLES, FL — A Naples homeowner got the surprise of a lifetime when she found an uninvited guest in her screen room Sunday: a large black bear broke in to take a dip in her pool.

Karen Bockrath shared photos of the bear enjoying a swim in the pool at her Golden Gate Estates home to her Facebook page. In a comment, she said the bear tore a small bottom panel of her screen room in order to access the pool.

She commented on her photo that the bears are actually “very timid animals and usually run if you get (too) close to them.” He got out of her pool and left the screen room after hearing her voice, she added.

Bockrath also commented that the bear is one of “half a dozen or so” that live in a wooded area near her home. She’s seen as many as five in her yard at one time.

Florida black bears are more active throughout the state every spring as the weather gets warmer, the Florida Wish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a news release.

Female nears give birth to their cubs at the end of January and begin to travel with them, FWC said. These family units wander farther as the cubs get bigger and cross the paths of humans more frequently.

Usually, black bears are not aggressive animals, but they have injured people and animals before. The FWC warns people not to intentionally approach a bear as they can react defensively, especially around dogs and other pets.

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Black bears are protected animals in Florida and it’s illegal to harm or intentionally feed them or leave out food or garbage that will attract bears to areas where humans tend to be, the FWC said.

The FWC offers these tips for keeping bears away from your property:

• Keep household garbage out of reach by storing it in a shed, garage or wildlife-resistant container.
• Wait until the morning trash is picked up in your neighborhood to put garbage out.
• Use bear-resistant dumpsters at commercial properties.
• Establish electric fencing to secure gardens, compost, livestock and beehives.
• Feed your pets indoors. If you do feed them outdoors, bring leftover food and dishes inside.
• Clean grills immediately after use and secure them in an inaccessible space.
• If there are fruit-bearing trees and bushes on your property, pick ripe fruit and remove any that has fallen to the ground.

If you feel threatened by a bear or know someone who is harming bears or intentionally feeding them, contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).