An allegedly depressed bear that had shown “signs of severe stress” in Florida has captured the attention of many after a post from local sheriffs.
The post on X from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office states that travellers tried to take selfies with the bear.
In a photo uploaded by the sheriffs, the bear can be seen slumped over next to a light post, outside of a forest, looking lethargic. They described the bear as “stressed, depressed lemon zest” and urged the public not to approach a black bear at any time.
“Onlookers were trying to take selfies with the bear and he’s clearly not in the mood for pictures. The bear has shown signs of severe stress,” the post stated.
While the photo includes signs of the bear’s possible depression – such as its low activity and slumped posture – a local wildlife and conservation group said that it may have merely been resting before moving on.
A ‘depressed’ bear is shown in this photo uploaded to X by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. (Walton County Sherriff’s Office)
“Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) bear biologists and officers responded to the location after being contacted by Walton County Sheriff’s Office deputies, but by that time the bear had dispersed and walked off into the adjacent woods,” reads a statement provided to CTVNews.ca.
“The bear did not appear to be injured based on images shared with our staff; it may have just been overheated and was resting before moving on.”
The FWC said bears become more active around this time of year and that younger bears disperse and begin leaving their mothers. It says bears may be seen in “unexpected areas” as they search for a new location, and that people should not approach or feed a bear.
“Crowding around any bear is never recommended, as bears can become defensive when threatened; it is best to always give bears as much space as possible.”
