\n\t\t\t\t\t\t A lunch break turned into an unforgettable wildlife encounter for Andy Zuniga, who was eating at Cameron Commons Plaza along Immokalee Road Thursday morning when he spotted something he never expected to see in suburban Naples: a black bear roaming the parking lot.\u201cI dropped my hot sauce, I dropped my food. I didn’t even care. It got all over my pants,\u201d Zuniga said.He immediately pulled out his phone and began filming the bear from a safe distance, capturing a moment he later described as feeling “like National Geographic.”Video footage shows the bear walking through the shopping plaza, startling bystanders but not approaching anyone directly. In the background, screams can be heard as people realize what is happening.Zuniga, captivated, followed the animal as it roamed around the lot.\u201cHe was bigger than me, I tell you that,\u201d he said.The bear even made an impromptu visit to a local restaurant. Jesse Camacho, general manager at Pelican Larry\u2019s Raw Bar and Grill, initially thought the sighting was a prank.\u201cI didn’t think it was real until I saw that video,\u201d he said.He saw the video showing the bear running down an alleyway at the restaurant before darting off.”The staff gave me a call and said that there’s a bear running around I thought they’re messing with me. I thought somebody was trying to get off of work early or something like that, but apparently, here we have really good wings, and he wanted to stop in early before the crowd got here,” Camacho laughed.The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said this time of year, female bears are busy teaching their cubs where to forage for food, while males are more active in their search for mates.Barry Fagan, a local resident saw the video he wasn\u2019t concerned.\u201cI don’t think it really presents a danger,\u201d he said, echoing FWC\u2019s advice that if residents spot a bear, they should give it space and notify authorities.While no one was harmed and the bear eventually wandered away from the plaza, the brief encounter left a lasting impression on Zuniga.\u201cRight time, right place,\u201d he said with a smile.Gulf Coast News reached out to FWC to see if they received any calls on the bear, we are still waiting to hear back. DOWNLOAD\u202fthe free\u202fGulf Coast News app\u202ffor your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tNAPLES, Fla. \u2014<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n A lunch break turned into an unforgettable wildlife encounter for Andy Zuniga, who was eating at Cameron Commons Plaza along Immokalee Road Thursday morning when he spotted something he never expected to see in suburban Naples: a black bear roaming the parking lot.<\/p>\n \u201cI dropped my hot sauce, I dropped my food. I didn’t even care. It got all over my pants,\u201d Zuniga said.<\/p>\n He immediately pulled out his phone and began filming the bear from a safe distance, capturing a moment he later described as feeling “like National Geographic.”<\/p>\n Video footage shows the bear walking through the shopping plaza, startling bystanders but not approaching anyone directly. In the background, screams can be heard as people realize what is happening.<\/p>\n Zuniga, captivated, followed the animal as it roamed around the lot.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was bigger than me, I tell you that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The bear even made an impromptu visit to a local restaurant. Jesse Camacho, general manager at Pelican Larry\u2019s Raw Bar and Grill, initially thought the sighting was a prank.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn’t think it was real until I saw that video,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He saw the video showing the bear running down an alleyway at the restaurant before darting off.<\/p>\n “The staff gave me a call and said that there’s a bear running around I thought they’re messing with me. I thought somebody was trying to get off of work early or something like that, but apparently, here we have really good wings, and he wanted to stop in early before the crowd got here,” Camacho laughed.<\/p>\n The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said this time of year, female bears are busy teaching their cubs where to forage for food, while males are more active in their search for mates.<\/p>\n Barry Fagan, a local resident saw the video he wasn\u2019t concerned.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t think it really presents a danger,\u201d he said, echoing FWC\u2019s advice that if residents spot a bear, they should give it space and notify authorities.<\/p>\n While no one was harmed and the bear eventually wandered away from the plaza, the brief encounter left a lasting impression on Zuniga.<\/p>\n \u201cRight time, right place,\u201d he said with a smile.<\/p>\n Gulf Coast News reached out to FWC to see if they received any calls on the bear, we are still waiting to hear back. <\/p>\n