OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. – “Are those grizzly bears!?”
An Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy stumbled upon an unexpected scene in December; a couple of small bear cubs.
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According to a post on social media, a man reported two bear cubs on Old River Road in Baker on Dec. 5, emphasizing that they looked different from the usual northwest Florida black bears.
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“They want food! They’re clearly domesticated,” the man told the deputy in newly-released body camera video.
See the video below:
Are those grizzly bears!??? (Audio Up!) An Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy certainly wasn’t expecting what she found when answering a call in the Baker area around 3:30 in the morning December 5th. A man had spotted two bear cubs on the side of Old River Road and said they didn’t appear to be our common Northwest Florida black bears. Turns out he was right. These cubs were technically about 3,614 miles from what would normally be "home" - in Alaska. They are apparently Kodiak cubs, a unique subspecies of the brown or grizzly bears, although Kodiaks are larger. Thankfully this pair was friendly and appeared healthy. The OCSO contacted the bear experts, Florida Fish and Wildlife, who made sure the cubs were transported to a secure location for safekeeping while they conducted a thorough investigation into how they came to be on the side of a road. It was determined the bears had escaped from an inadequate enclosure at a residence on Old River Road where a self-proclaimed bear trainer lives. The resident faces various Florida wildlife violations related to the findings of the FWC investigation. We opted not to share the video until after their investigation was closed. • According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game “Kodiak bears are a unique subspecies of the brown or grizzly bear and in the wild live exclusively on the islands in the Kodiak Archipelago and have been isolated from other bears for about 12,000 years. • There are about 3,500 Kodiak bears; a density of about 0.7 bears per square mile. • Kodiak bears are the largest bears in the world. A large male can stand over 10' tall when on his hind legs, and 5' when on all four legs. They weigh up to 1,500 pounds. Females are about 20% smaller, and 30% lighter than males.”
Posted by Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Investigators determined the bears were Kodiak cubs, a distinct subspecies of brown or grizzly bears. Fortunately, this pair displayed friendliness and seemed in good health.
The deputy was able to snap some pictures and sought assistance from Florida Fish and Wildlife to relocate the cubs to a secure facility while launching a thorough investigation into where they came from. Detectives uncovered an escape from substandard confinement at a residence not far away from the scene, where a self-proclaimed bear trainer resides, the sheriff’s office said.
According to the post, the resident now faces a range of Florida wildlife violations as a result of the FWC investigation. Deputies said the video documenting the incident was not shared until the investigation concluded.
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, there are approximately 3,500 Kodiak bears, with a density of about 0.7 bears per square mile. These formidable creatures claim the title of the world’s largest bears, with a large male towering over 10′ tall on hind legs and weighing up to 1,500 pounds. Females are roughly 20% smaller and 30% lighter than their male counterparts.
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