09 October 2023 , 14:21
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A black bear was found leisurely exploring a 50-foot-long catamaran.
The yacht, named TomCat, was docked at the prestigious Naples Yacht Club, located in Florida. The extraordinary sighting occurred when a local businessman was towing a vessel back to the docks and discovered the unexpected stowaway.
Witness Todd Dillman, who captured the incident on camera, expressed his disbelief, stating, "I should probably film this because if I tell people this story, they're not going to believe me." The bear, seemingly unperturbed by its unusual choice of location, casually roamed the deck of the luxury catamaran.
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"This is definitely a new one," the amazed business owner remarked. Fortunately, the bear left the catamaran on its own accord, leaving onlookers both astonished and amused. Although encounters with wildlife are not uncommon in Florida, including encounters with saltwater crocodiles, alligators, sharks, and rays, a bear on a boat is a rarity.
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A local businessman towing a vessel back found the bear stowaway on the catamaran (Jam Press Vid/TowBoat U.S. Naples & Marco Island/AMAZING ANIMALS+/TMX)Authorities from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed their awareness of the incident and were closely monitoring the bear's movements. Florida is home to approximately 4,000 bears, with their last population count conducted in 2015. The next count is scheduled for 2025.
According to the commission's statement, bears tend to be most active during autumn and spring, exploring new areas in search of food. During the fall months, bears instinctively seek to stock up on calories in preparation for winter, which might explain the unusual visit to the yacht club.
Todd Dillman, a witness, captured the incident, anticipating disbelief when recounting this extraordinary event (Jam Press Vid/TowBoat U.S. Naples & Marco Island/AMAZING ANIMALS+/TMX)
The bear, nonchalant on the yacht's deck, surprised everyone with its unexpected presence (Jam Press Vid/TowBoat U.S. Naples & Marco Island/AMAZING ANIMALS+/TMX)Bear sightings aren't always joyous occasions. Elsewhere, a couple and their dog lost their lives in a tragic bear attack. Doug Inglis and Jenny Gusse, both 62, tragically died when a grizzly bear attacked them in Banff National Park, Canada. Parks Canada was alerted but couldn't get to the area due to bad weather.
When they finally arrived at 1am, they found Doug, Jenny and their beloved Border Collie, Tris, lying dead next to two empty cans of bear spray. The thin old female grizzly bear, estimated to be over 25 years old, was found nearby and was shot dead when it charged at the rescuers.
While Florida encounters diverse wildlife, a bear on a boat is an extraordinary sight (Jam Press Vid/TowBoat U.S. Naples & Marco Island/AMAZING ANIMALS+/TMX)
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission monitored the bear's movements after the incident (Jam Press Vid/TowBoat U.S. Naples & Marco Island/AMAZING ANIMALS+/TMX)Doug's uncle Colin said: "They are a couple that loved each other and loved the outdoors. And they were highly, highly experienced in being out back, whether it be serious treks or canoeing, whitewater canoeing in the North country." On the night of their fatal mauling, Colin said he got a horrifying SOS message from the couple's GPS device which read: "Bear attack bad."
A statement from the family read: "They were long-term partners who loved the outdoors and were inseparable. They lived for being in the backcountry and were two of the most cautious people I know. They knew bear protocol and followed it to a tee."