A pair of cubs, native to Alaska, were found on a back road in Florida, sparking an investigation into why the animals are more than 3600 kilometers from home.
Authorities were called to the scene in Okaloosa Country in December by a man who found the cubs without their mother’s knowledge.
However, a closer look at the size and color revealed that the animals were not native to the Sunshine State.
Officers just released the video after determining that the cubs had escaped from a local home and the owner is now facing a list of violations.
A pair of cubs, native to Alaska, were found on a back road in Florida, prompting an investigation into why the animals were more than 3,600 miles from home.
Okaloosa County is located in the Florida Panhandle, where black bears live.
Although most people may not know the difference, black bears and Kodiak bears look very different.
Kodiak bears are much larger, weighing up to 1,500 pounds, while black bears weigh up to 600 pounds.
The Alaskan animal is usually brown in color, while black bears can be found with brown, cinnamon and black fur.
The body camera footage begins with two officers getting out of their vehicle to meet a resident who called.
Authorities were called to the scene in Okaloosa Country in December by a man who found the cubs without their mother’s knowledge. However, a closer look at the size and color revealed that the animals were not native to the Sunshine State
The two cubs were walking around in the middle of the street as officers waved lights on the road.
“They want to eat or something,” the citizen told the officers. “They’re clearly domesticated.”
The footage shows the man petting the cubs – and the animals also tried to jump into the patrol vehicle parked on the side of the road.
“I think they’re brown,” the man said as he fed the cubs.
“They’re not black bears.”
Officers just released the video after determining that the cubs had escaped from a local home and the owner is now facing a list of violations
The officers speculated that the cubs could be grizzlies or brown bears.
‘It’s like they’re not afraid of people. They walk right up to people and let you pet them,” an officer told the dispatcher, who responded, “The pranks at 3:30.”
Wildlife officers were then called to the location to transport the cubs to a safe location while an investigation was conducted. The team announced the results last month.
“It was determined that the bears had escaped from inadequate enclosure at a residence on Old River Road where a self-proclaimed bear trainer lives,” the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office shared on Facebook.
“The resident is facing several Florida wildlife violations related to the findings of the FWC investigation.
“We chose not to share the video until after their investigation had concluded.”