Bear walks into Lowe’s and gets part of store all to itself, Florida photos show
Black bears are notorious browsers but one took things too far when it showed up at a Florida Lowe’s store during business hours, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says.
The bear was discovered around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13, and photos shared on social media show it appreciated the wide selection of edible plants.
“FWC staff were notified by local law enforcement of a juvenile bear enclosed within the outdoor garden center section of Lowe’s Home Improvement in Wildwood,” according to Ryan Sheets, a spokesman for the FWC Division of Habitat and Species Conservation.
“An FWC bear management contractor arrived to trap and relocate the bear if necessary, but the bear exited the enclosure and left the area on its own. FWC staff will respond to additional reported sightings as needed.”
The store opens at 6 a.m., but details of any customer interactions were not revealed.
It’s also not clear if the bear ate any merchandise.
Young bears are apt to appear in awkward places this time of year, and they aren’t “generally aggressive” unless they feel threatened, experts say.
“During this time of year, black bear sightings increase in suburban and urban areas — including in cities such as Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and others around the state — as juvenile black bears leave their mothers’ home ranges in search of new locations of their own to settle down,” Sheets said.
“Spring also marks a general increase in activity for bears after limited movements in winter. Seeing a bear in a neighborhood is not necessarily cause for alarm. However, it is important that people secure food attractants so that bears do not linger in the area. Generally, if a bear is not able to find food and is given space, it will move on.”
A rare fatal bear attack occurred May 5 in Collier County in southwest Florida, when an 89-year-old man and his dog were killed outside a home, McClatchy News reported. DNA linked a 263-pound male bear to the attack, officials said.
Wildwood is about a 50-mile drive northwest from Orlando.
This story was originally published May 14, 2025 at 8:28 AM with the headline "Bear walks into Lowe’s and gets part of store all to itself, Florida photos show."