The Ocala City Council took a moment this week to recognize the collaborative efforts of local and state officials who relocated two bears from downtown Ocala using a trap baited with donuts.
During Tuesday’s meeting of the Ocala City Council, president Barry Mansfield and Mayor Ben Marciano recognized members of the Ocala Police Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for their efforts to relocate the bear from the Woodfields community in Ocala last month.
Mansfield, who is a resident of the Woodfields community, said he got called by so many residents that he “forgot how many times” he was warned about the bear. At some point, he was told there were two bears.
After several conservations with Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken, Mansfield says he called the FFWCC.
Responding officials reported that two bears were loose in the community and efforts began to safely remove them.
Officials brought in a trap that they baited with donuts. They were able to trap one and remove it safely before trapping and removing the second bear.
According to Mansfield, both bears were “escorted out” after they were trapped by officials and moved to the Ocala National Forest.
During his retelling of the story, Mansfield recalled that the calls he received were from residents who were not scared for their own safety, but rather, for the safety of the bear.
“It was actually a fun story, glad it turned out okay. But nobody was like ‘hey there’s a bear in my neighborhood, someones is going to get hurt.’ No, it was ‘there’s a bear in my neighborhood, the bears are going to get hurt, and you need to do something about it,'” said Mansfield.
He says the one downside of the incident was that it turned into a “spectacle” and that residents came out to see the bears.
At the time, local law enforcement officials had to issued a public statement advising residents to stay away from the bear and leave it alone.
Those recognized for their efforts included the following Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Staff: Paige Parks, Mike Connelly, Mike Orlando, Swain Seiler, Lauren Dickson, Wade Constance, Jaret Flynn, Brandon Roberts, and Cody Lambert.
Several officers from Ocala Police Department were also recognized for their efforts: Lt. Howie, Ofc. Ower, Ofc. Labbe, Ofc. Coughlin, Ofc. Grimes, Lt. Hurst, Sgt. Gago, Ofc. Allanson, and Ofc. Perez.
All of the individuals were commended for their “exemplary service.”
“It took an army to help the bears go to where they needed to go, and it was just a good thing that we finally got them out of the neighborhood and they’re back in their home” said Mansfield.
Mansfield shared challenge coins from the city with each of the individuals.
According to the FFWCC, the increase in bear sightings in the county over the past several weeks was due to the migration of yearling bears who are venturing out of their mothers’ home ranges.
Over the past several weeks, multiple readers have shared photos and videos of bears that they have been spotted all around Marion County.
One reader shared video with Ocala-News.com showing a black bear running around in Marion Oaks in June.
Around the same time, another local resident shared video of a black bear running near a Walgreens in south Ocala, along Marion Oaks Boulevard.
A motorist driving through the Ocala National Forest shared a photo of a family of bears they spotted.
Have you seen a bear running around your neighborhood? Share your photos with us, and make sure to contact the Northeast Region Office of the Florida Wildlife Commission at 352-732-1225.