Current:Home > InvestA Florida black bear was caught on video hanging out at Naples yacht club -SummitInvest
A Florida black bear was caught on video hanging out at Naples yacht club
View
Date:2025-04-14 15:05:44
A Florida black bear was spotted aboard a yacht earlier this week.
It seems like the wildlife living near Naples want to fit in and do their part to uphold the lifestyles of the rich and famous brand.
The black bear in question was caught hanging out on a 50-foot sailing catamaran docked at the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club.
Captain Todd Dillman, the owner of TowBoatU.S.-Naples & Marco Island, a tow service that tows boats when they break down, happened to be in the right place at the right time on Wednesday. He was driving by the yacht club in his boat when he spotted the bear walking around the catamaran deck.
Let’s just say seeing the black bear was a bit of a surprise for Dillman, who thought he had seen it all in his line of work.
"Snakes, gators, saltwater crocs, sharks ... never in a million years did I think I would see a bear."
Dillman said the bear swam across the harbor and got up on the boat.
"I had to video it because no one would believe me if I told it," Dillman said.
Where is the bear now?
Despite the bear abandoning its post, the bear is still “running around downtown,” Dillman said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision are monitoring the bear and trying to make sure it goes home.
How common is it to see a bear running about?
There may not be a large quantity of black bears running around the Naples area, but it's not unusual to see on in your neighborhood from time to time.
Residents have posted a steady stream of videos on social media showing bears roaming around yards and looking for food inside garbage cans, frolicking in front of a house, or on a million-dollar yacht for example.
Black bears tend to prefer habitats with a dense understory such as forested wetlands and uplands, natural pinelands, hammocks, scrub, and shrub lands, but will use just about every habitat type in Florida, including swamps, according to the FWC website.
What to do if you encounter a bear?
Since spotting a black bear in Florida from time to time isn’t unusual, there are a couple tips from The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission you can keep in mind if you ever see one while you are out and about. It might be rare for bears to seriously injure people, but bears have bitten and scratched people defending themselves, their cubs, or their food.
If you see a bear from a distance:
- Enjoy the experience, but do not move toward the bear, if your presence changes the bear's behavior you are too close
If you see a bear at a close distance:
- Remain standing upright
- Speak to the bear in a calm, assertive voice
- Back up slowly toward a secure area, be sure you are leaving the bear a clear escape route
- Avoid direct eye contact - bears and other animals may view this as aggressive behavior
- Stop and hold your ground if your movement away seems to irritate instead of calm the bear
If a black bear does attack you, you are encouraged to fight back aggressively. People have been able to successfully fend off a black bear attack using rocks, sticks, or even their bare hands, according to the FWC.
More:Regarding Fat Bear Week: A letter from Fit Bears demanding equal representation
veryGood! (56)
Related
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Gossip Girl Actress Chanel Banks Reported Missing After Vanishing in California
- Keke Palmer Says Ryan Murphy “Ripped” Into Her Over Scream Queens Schedule
- Why Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams May Be Rejoining the George R.R. Martin Universe
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- As CFP rankings punish SEC teams, do we smell bias against this proud and mighty league?
- Wreck of Navy destroyer USS Edsall known as 'the dancing mouse' found 80 years after sinking
- Keke Palmer Says Ryan Murphy “Ripped” Into Her Over Scream Queens Schedule
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- NFL overreactions: New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys going nowhere after Week 10
Ranking
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- 'I heard it and felt it': Chemical facility explosion leaves 11 hospitalized in Louisville
- Five best fits for Alex Bregman: Will Astros homegrown star leave as free agent?
- Disruptions to Amtrak service continue after fire near tracks in New York City
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- Police identify 7-year-old child killed in North Carolina weekend shooting
- Joey Graziadei Details Why Kelsey Anderson Took a Break From Social Media
- Officer injured at Ferguson protest shows improvement, transferred to rehab
Recommendation
Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
Mississippi man charged with shooting 5 people after not being allowed into party
Disruptions to Amtrak service continue after fire near tracks in New York City
Why Suits' Gabriel Macht Needed Time Away From Harvey Specter After Finale
Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
Missing Ole Miss student declared legally dead as trial for man accused in his death looms
Ariana Grande's Brunette Hair Transformation Is a Callback to Her Roots
Jennifer Garner Details Navigating Grief 7 Months After Death of Her Dad William Garner