Beachgoers were almost shocked at the weekend on Destin Beach: Instead of a shark or jellyfish, a bear cub swims among them. A video shows what happened.
“A bear just swam to shore in Destin from way out in the ocean. Awesome,” tweeted Chris Barron. He is one of countless bathers who are on the beach that day to enjoy the sun and the sea. In the early morning the young black bear suddenly appears.
“At first we thought it was a dog”
Captain Frank Merrell is also out at sea in his boat that day. He is returning from a diving trip when he sees something black in the water. “My first thought was maybe it’s a dog, but I was completely shocked when I realized it was a bear,” he told the news portal Fox 35 News.
Another video shared on Instagram shows the cub making its way to the beach, running past the crowd and fleeing as quickly as possible.
Young animal saves itself on the beach and looks for the distance
When asked what a black bear is doing in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) says, “It’s not uncommon to hear about black bears swimming in the Gulf. They are on their way to the barrier islands and are looking for food.” And further: “During this time of year, young bears start to leave their home range and look for new homes”. The organization advises: “Usually these bears move on by themselves. If you see a bear, give it plenty of room, don’t try to approach it, and don’t feed it.”
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Nevertheless, the sighting of the bear completely surprised countless people on the beach. Some bathers also seem to be worried about the cub, as the following comments suggest:
- “I hope someone called animal rescue instead of just standing around and watching.”
- “Oh, he’s young and he’s probably scared of all the people screaming and running around.”
- “I hope someone called Wildlife Rescue to make sure he was okay. He looks very young and might be confused and lost. But I hope he enjoyed the swim because it’s insanely hot.”
- “I wonder where he swam from and how he couldn’t have been eaten by a shark.”
2023-06-13 11:30:00
#Swimming #bear #amazes #bathers #Florida #beach
