Black bear found soaking in Florida hot tub captured with doughnuts

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Officials in Florida used doughnuts to capture a black bear after the animal was found soaking in a neighbour’s hot tub.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said they were contacted by police in Punta Gorda Isles after a landscaper reported a bear wandering around an upscale neighbourhood at around 9:30 a.m. on June 8.

By the time wildlife officials, police officers and a bear management biologist arrived at the scene, the uninvited guest found its way into a neighbour’s backyard and relaxed inside a hot tub.

“He’s not looking for any trouble, that’s for sure,” a local resident told NBC affiliate WBBH. “He’s just trying to find somewhere to live.”

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Homeowner Lynn Martin recorded the bear removing cushions from the outdoor furniture.

“He just took the pillows off of the couch and was getting ready to take a nap,” Martin told CBS affiliate WINK.

The bear wound up taking a nearly six-hour siesta under a shaded patio.

Wildlife officials placed a trap on the property and used gentle hazing techniques to provoke it into leaving the area.

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The bear eventually left the property and climbed a tree at a nearby vacant lot. A trap was then placed at the bottom of the tree as officials waited for it to return to the ground.

The bear climbed down a day later and into the trap filled with sweet doughnut treats, Fox affiliate WSVN reported.

Officials said the bear was caught and transported to a nearby state park.