A large black bear wandered into a residential area in Alligator Point, Florida. Wildlife officials knew they had to remove the bear quickly, but this is where the big mistake occurred.
The safest and easiest way to remove the bear from the habitat is to sedate and relocate it.
But the cupid panicked the bear and it headed for the ocean.
While he was swimming in the Gulf, he became sleepy and began to drown.
Adam Warwick, a biologist with the Wildlife Commission, saw what was happening and knew he had to do something.
He swam towards the bear and stopped it from advancing.
“It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I had a lot of adrenaline pumping when I saw the bear in the water.”
The bear came closer to Adam to try to stay afloat on top of him. But the bear’s legs are getting too weak.
He grabbed the bear by the neck while its head was above the water.
Adam remained calm and did not give up.
He then dragged the 400 lb bear about 25 yards to land!
Here they finally got out of the water.
At this point, other team members came to help.
They were able to use a tractor bucket to lift the bear and transport it back to its home in the Osceola National Forest.
The bear is safe and sound. Call me crazy, but I think that was a sign of appreciation on his face.
It’s more like it! He was happy to be home.
I’m tired of reading this! I can’t imagine holding its head above water and pulling it back to land. What a hero!