PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A black bear that was first spotted roaming around Port St. Lucie has been seen again, this time by a local trapper in the Tradition community.

Tradition is known for having issues with feral hogs, which is why trapper Jay with Treasure Coast Wildlife Trappers set up a hog trap equipped with a camera to monitor activity.

Instead of hogs, the camera captured a black bear.

Jay showed where the bear was spotted, in the backyards of homes along Southwest Lake Fern Circle in Tradition.

Early Sunday morning, the camera alerted him that something was at the trap.

He checked the footage.

“And we’re like, ‘Oh my God. There’s a bear by the trap,’” Jay said.

The footage showed an adult black bear.

The bear first appeared around 2 a.m. Three hours later, at nearly 5 a.m., it was still in the area and had become curious about the camera.

Neighbors also took an interest in the unexpected visitor.

“Pretty interesting, to say the least,” resident Rachel Murray said with a laugh.

“We got a lot of critters in the backyard. This is our first bear,” resident Bob Lopopolo said.

The bear returned Monday morning.

Once again, it visited the trap, checked out the camera and remained in the area for hours.

Bear sightings in the neighborhood are rare. Jay said anyone who encounters a bear should keep their distance.

“What you want to do at that point is make loud noises. You want to kind of haze the bear. You want that bear to be afraid of humans,” he said.

Even if residents do not see the bear, Jay said they should remain cautious.

“Just keep your eye out. Be safe. When you’re out there, make sure you have a flashlight at night, you have your dogs on a leash and that you stay vigilant,” he said.

The trapper said the most recent sighting occurred several days ago, and the bear has not returned since. He hopes the animal has moved on but is encouraging residents to stay vigilant in case it wanders back.

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