Recently, Cuban meteorologist Rubén Capote, known for his work with Telemundo 49, had an unexpected visitor—a bear—in his backyard upon returning from covering Hurricane Milton. "Look who I found. There he is. Can you believe it? He thinks he lives here," Capote joked in a video he shared on Facebook, showing what appeared to be a young bear skillfully climbing a tree to a considerable height.
Capote explained that everyone stayed indoors out of fear of the bear. "What should I do? Any advice? I called Wildlife Conservation and they told me he would be more afraid of me than I am of him, and that I should just leave him alone," he remarked, surprised at how high the bear had climbed, seemingly in search of food.
"Can you imagine? What do I do now? If he decides to stay here... and he doesn’t seem scared of me. Buddy, if you come this way, I'll run inside the house faster than ever... First dealing with Milton, and now this," concluded Capote, who promised to keep followers updated on the story.
Unexpected Celebrity Status
The post quickly went viral, garnering over 19,000 reactions and more than 2,000 comments. Many congratulated Rubén Capote for his excellent coverage of the hurricane, while others offered humorous suggestions, such as naming the bear "Milton" or advising against climbing trees to escape bears, as one might encounter another one there.
Bear Sightings on the Rise
Though not as common as alligator sightings, bears are increasingly appearing in residential areas in Florida. In mid-July 2023, authorities in Homestead used donuts to lure and capture a black bear that had wandered through a neighborhood in Miami-Dade County for over 24 hours, causing fear among residents.
Another bear made headlines by stealing an Uber Eats delivery from a porch in Longwood, Orlando, just after the driver dropped it off. An adult bear even spent the night on a porch in Naples, with its peaceful nap captured by the homeowners’ security cameras.