Video: Black bear caught snoozin' high in tree near Lake Eola Park in Orlando

Bear takes up residence in Lake Eola Park

A young black bear has been spotted in some trees at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando doing what bears seemingly do best – sleeping, observing, and occasionally some climbing.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A young black bear has been spotted in some trees at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando doing what bears seemingly do best – sleeping, observing, and occasionally some climbing.

The bear was first spotted over the weekend in a tree on one side of Lake Eola Park, drawing interest from Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC), as well as people walking around the area. Staff with the Florida Fish and Wildlife brought in a cage Sunday with hopes of trapping the bear and safely relocating it but were unable to capture the animal at the time.

Orlando bear finds another tree to sleep in

A bear found himself up in a tree near Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando on Sunday and wandered off during the overnight hours. However, on Monday, FWC said the bear found another tree on the other side of the lake. People are asked to avoid the bear, who hopefully will leave on its own. The FWC said young bears are beginning to leave their mother's care and starting to explore on their own.

Around 1 a.m., the bear made its way down from that tree and seemingly wandered off. Hours later, however, the bear was spotted Monday on the other side of Lake Eola hanging out in another tree, a spokesperson for FWC said in a brief update.

"I feel a little bit bad for the bear, I'm not going to lie, but it is pretty interesting that we're in the city and there's a black bear," said Abbey Comes who lives nearby. "My hope is that when it's nighttime, he'll come down because it's a little cooler, and they have it blocked off now, and he'll be safe, and they're able to relocate him."

Young bear stuck in tree at Lake Eola in Orlando

A young bear found its way 50-feet up in tree Sunday at Lake Eola Park

According to the FWC, during this time of year, bears are more active. Juvenile bears are starting to leave their mother’s home range and may be seen in unexpected areas as they try to find a new home.

Typically, these bears will move away on their own. If you see a bear, give it space, don’t try to approach it, and never feed it.

"Seeing a bear in a neighborhood is not necessarily cause for alarm. However, it is important that residents secure food attractants so that bears do not linger in the area. If a bear is not able to find food, it will move on," the FWC said.

In late April, another juvenile bear was spotted wandering around Central Florida near Altamonte Springs. The bear was spotted in College Park but was later hit and killed by a car in the early morning hours.

Roaming black bear hit, killed by car in Orlando, officials say

A juvenile black bear that was spotted roaming around in Orlando this week has died after being hit by a car on Fairbanks Avenue Thursday morning, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

If you see a bear and feel threatened, you can contact the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. Visit https://myfwc.com/bear for more information on how to avoid conflict with bears.