VIDEO: Bear caught, warned for 'excessive cuteness' after roaming Fla. neighborhood

MCGREGOR, Fla. (WFLA) — Residents in a Florida neighborhood were startled when they found a large creature wandering through their yards Thursday.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office said the hulking animal that residents saw wandering near Shaddelee Lane in McGregor Thursday morning was a black bear.

Photos provided by the sheriff's office show the bear hanging out behind a fence in one homeowner's backyard.

Deputies, along with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), said they had eyes on the bear Thursday afternoon and were keeping it "under fur-veillance."

Only a few hours passed before the sheriff's office said the bear had been safely caught. Video showed the bear sitting in a caged trailer, waiting to be hauled out of the neighborhood.

"No charges filed, just a warning for excessive cuteness," the sheriff's office wrote in a social media post.

According to the FWC, bears can be seen in nearly every part of Florida, with their population estimated to be around 4,050 statewide. Sightings are frequent in Southwest Florida, and bears will sometimes enter neighborhoods to find food.

Residents should remember to be aware of their surroundings, secure their garbage and pet food, and never deliberately feed bears, the FWC says.