Yahoo News WATCH: Florida Black Bear Seen Wandering Around Tampa International Airport Before Being Safely Captured
"I’ve never seen this in 35 years, a black bear running along the tree line inside the fence of Tampa Airport," onlooker Branden Blake tells PEOPLE
Tampa International Airport
Airplanes and runways and bears, oh my!
An unusual traveler made a trip to the Tampa International Airport (TPA) in Florida on Tuesday afternoon: A black bear was seen circling the property, an encounter that marked a first in the airport's 50-plus-year history, according to airport officials.
The Florida black bear was initially spotted by a Transportation Security Administration employee who witnessed the animal moseying around the airport's perimeter fence, per a TPA spokesperson.
In fact, airport officials believe the juvenile bear scaled the fence in order to make it onto the airport grounds before it was seen on the north end of the airport property and in the employee parking lot.
Perhaps the bear was a little jet lagged? Tampa police confirmed the bear reportedly slept inside the perimeter as infrared helicopter cameras were used to track the bear overnight.
Related: Black Bear Shocks Beachgoers By Swimming Out of Ocean and onto Florida Shore — Watch!
Tampa International Airport
Branden Blake, a 35-year-old Florida resident born and raised in Tampa, tells PEOPLE he spotted the bear Wednesday morning on his commute to work as he drove on Hillsborough Ave at 8:23 a.m. ET.
"I’ve never seen this in 35 years… a black bear running along the tree line inside the fence of Tampa Airport," Blake says.
"I happened to look to my right at a stoplight and 200 yards away, there’s a giant black bear in the city," Blake says. He added that the bear "looked lost" in the environment, which he described as a "high traffic area" with "people everywhere."
Blake tells PEOPLE you're more likely to see wild hogs, deer, alligators and squirrels in Tampa, but "definitely not a black bear."
Related: Black Bear Startles North Carolina Man Relaxing on Sun Lounger at Home — Watch!
Tampa International Airport
Not long after Blake's sighting, the bear was captured. Tampa Airport Executive Vice President of Operations John Tiliacos said of their plan to move the bear to safety, which involved local and state agencies called to the scene.
Tiliacos described the "robust perimeter" that was set up, while also placing traps surrounding the area. After two unsuccessful tranquilizing attempts, it was "eventually lured into one of the traps and was safely captured unharmed," Tiliacos told reporters during a press briefing.
Abiding by state protocols, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission took the bear to Ocala National Forest in central Florida on Wednesday. Tiliacos said airport operations were not disrupted and airport employees weren't at risk.
"All's well that ends well," Tiliacos said.
The fish and wildlife agency has been keeping a close eye on black bear sightings in Tampa for the past several weeks, as its staff believe the juvenile bear captured on Wednesday was the same one that was reported in the Carrollwood area of Tampa in May.
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