Black bear wandered onto Tampa airport grounds and spent the night, officials say

A bear was spotted walking along the perimeter of the Tampa International Airport — and made history in the process, according to Florida officials.

A TSA employee reported the black bear on the afternoon of June 13, according to a news release from the Tampa International Airport.

Officials with the airport and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission set up a trap and perimeter around the animal’s location, the release says.

They then monitored the area overnight and used infrared helicopter cameras to find the bear sleeping on airport property.

The following morning, the bear walked into the trap, the release says.

John Tiliacos, the airport’s executive vice president of operations and customer service, said in a statement that no flights or other airport operations were interrupted.

He said it’s the first time in the airport’s history that a bear has been seen on the property. The airport has a wildlife program, including a wildlife biologist, to monitor birds, coyotes, gopher turtles and other species that live in the area.

After its capture, the bear was taken to the Ocala National Forest in Central Florida, according to the airport. The forest covers about 387,000 acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

There are over 4,050 black bears in the state, according to the Florida Wildlife Federation. As the number of bears and people grow simultaneously, interactions between the two have been increasing, the commission said.

Bears have been caught on camera throughout the state at the beach, in people’s swimming pools and even snatching food from people’s porches.

Black bears are not considered aggressive but can be reactive if provoked, according to the federation.

This story was originally published June 15, 2023 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Black bear wandered onto Tampa airport grounds and spent the night, officials say."