The viral black bear spotted sauntering around downtown St. Augustine like a Midwestern tourist — dubbed Paws de Leon by The Citizen — is currently reposing in the woods, police said.
Wildlife officials and local cops are keeping an eye on the animal — as well as a cautious distance — as it stares right back with equal bemusement.
Florida wildlife personnel headed to the scene and set a bear trap in the area, St. Augustine Police spokesperson Dee Brown said.
Once the ursine explorer is secured, officials plan to relocate him away from the residential area.
Videos and pictures of the animal went viral online early Tuesday morning as residents gawked at images of PDL clambering over one of St. Augustine’s signature whitewashed walls and onto St. George Street.
One video clip captured a pair of local cops running down a downtown street with rifles drawn
After getting its fill of the Old City’s commercial hub, it walked roughly a mile to a wooded area in Lincolnville and has remained there for several hours.
Footage of its movements spurred some commenters to lament the bear’s shrinking natural habitat and to urge a peaceful resolution of the situation.
Others reported their own recent bear sightings in the area.
Leah Rae Yawn, wife of Bravo TV star Sandy Yawn, said she spotted a bear in her Nocatee backyard last week.
Additional encounters were reported in Murabella and Silverleaf.
The Citizen will update this story.
