Bear cubs native to Alaska found roaming on Florida road

OKALOOSA, Fla. — Two bear cubs native to Alaska were found on the side of the road in another state thousands of miles away from home, officials said.

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Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy received a call on Dec. 5 around 3:30 a.m. after a man had spotted two bear cubs by the side of Old River Road in Okaloosa. The man said that the bears didn’t seem to be 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,” the sheriff’s office said. Turns out, the bear cubs were Kodiak cubs.

Authorities learned that the bears belonged to a “self-proclaimed bear trainer,” and escaped their enclosure, WFTV reported. The sheriff’s office said the trainer faces multiple Florida wildlife violations.

“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,” the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said, according to the sheriff’s office.

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