OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. – Two Kodiak bear cubs native to southern Alaska were found wandering on a rural Florida roadway, and the incident was captured on an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy’s body camera.
A local resident alerted authorities to the sighting on Dec. 5 and said it was a sight he had never seen before.
Their size and color were two indications that they weren’t dealing with a species native to Florida, but there remained many questions as to where the duo came from.
The pair appeared healthy and even tried to climb into a responding patrol car.
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigation confirmed the resident’s initial theory – the bears weren’t from Florida; they were actually Kodiak cubs from southern Alaska.
The bears were taken to a secure facility, and information regarding the occasion was kept tight-lipped to protect the sanctity of the investigation.
It wasn’t until the last day of January that the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office revealed the circumstances that led to the bears traveling more than 3,600 miles.
According to investigators, it was determined that the bears escaped a nearby enclosure and that they were being housed by a local resident.
The FWC said that the resident now faces a list of violations but did not release the suspect’s identity.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game told the sheriff’s office that there are only about 3,500 Kodiak bears in existence and are subspecies of the more well-known brown and grizzly bears.
It remains unclear how someone was able to get the bears to Florida or when they’ll be transported back to The Last Frontier.
According to the state’s fish and game department, there are only about 3,500 Kodiak bears in existence, and they can stand over ten feet tall when on their hind legs.
There have been no additional reports of Kodiak bears wandering through Florida’s wilderness.