Florida Highway Patrol Issues Search Warrant For A Bear, We Are Not Joking

A burglar bear in Florida was caught trying to break into a police vehicle late at night. The bear’s break-in attempts were captured on a CCTV camera. Last week, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), shared this footage on Instagram and jokingly put up a “Wanted” notice for the bear. The black bear in the grainy footage has been identified as Teddy. Teddy is believed to be 500 pounds (approximately 226 kilograms). The video shows him trying to open the state trooper’s car by pulling at its door handle with his paws. After failing to open the car, he moves away. Teddy’s actions show that perhaps wild animals like black bears know how to open vehicles in search of food.

Commenting on this post many people joked that Teddy is just another Florida state trooper. An Instagram user wrote, “Nah that’s just a bear when he gets assigned to pm shift.” Another mentioned, “Now we have animals wanting to be state troopers in Florida.” Someone joked, “I did not know SWFL FHP were training bears vs. dogs now!”

In many places in the USA that have a considerable bear population, authorities warn people against leaving food or snacks in their cars or lawns as this can attract bears who have learned to venture into residential areas in search of food. The strong sense of smell enables bears to look for food even if it is securely packed. Even campers are requested to finish their food or keep it in air tight containers at campsites so that bears do not rip into the tents to search for food.

In April 2023, a video from the USA went viral that showed a black bear approaching a parked Mercedes-Benz and opening it.

However, before it could enter the automobile and cause damage, the people overlooking the scene started shouting and screaming. This startled the bear as it got on its hind legs and searched for the source of noise. The animal then ran away from the scene.

It is unclear when this video was taken. Commenting on this video, an Instagram user quipped, “Why are bears always trying to commit grand theft auto?” Another commented, “Bear be like ..Calm down guys I was just checking if there is any food inside for me jeez.”