Wildlife officials say they spent more than eight hours removing a young black bear from the grounds of a southwest Florida school.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer Stuart Spoede told local media outlets that the 260-pound bear had been spotted near Three Oaks Elementary School in Fort Myers last week and then returned early Wednesday.
Officials say the school was placed on a modified lock down with limited foot traffic as officers corralled the bear up a short tree, shot him with a tranquilizer dart and caught him in a tarp.
Spoede says the animal hasn't previously been tagged as a "nuisance bear,'' so he'll be relocated rather than euthanized.
No injuries were reported.
Meet our "Bear of the Week"- a 260lb black bear. @LeeSchools #loveleeschools pic.twitter.com/aXdNP5QtTO — Three Oaks Elem (@TOEBears) March 23, 2016
