It was a morning the Bendel family will never forget. About 5:30 a.m., Jeff Bendel’s wife let their dogs out. She heard barking, went to investigate and suddenly, she was face to face with a black bear.
They believe it got in the backyard through the wooded area behind their property. The same way it came is the same way it left.
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“The bear got spooked. He turned and went back towards the shed. He hopped the fence. That’s when she went back into the house,” Jeff Bendel explained.
The family tells Action News Jax the trash can is what the bear was going after. How do they know? Deep, unusual scratches on the side of it and by the time it was all said and done, the can itself was pushed over on its side.
The sighting comes a shock to some neighbors.
“A bear? A real bear?” Sherry Barbour asked.
"Bona fide bear. What do you think about that?" Action News Jax Erica Bennett explained.
"Scares the heck out of me,” Barbour continued.
Bendel called for help and a Florida Fish and Wildlife specialist came out. He tracked the bear up against a fence line behind Bendel’s house -- and even found paw prints about 5 inches in diameter. His guess? The unexpected guest was between 200 and 250 pounds -- and took a wrong turn in his normal trek in the woods.
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Neighbors say, for now, they'll be cautious and on the lookout.
“We have to barricade our house -- because of a bear.”
FWC says the most important things to remember are: don't feed bears. If you see them, secure attractants in your yard, like garbage cans and birdfeeders. If you see a bear, call FWC’s hotline at 888-404-fwcc.
For more bear information, visit: http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/bear/living/
Cox Media Group
