'Depressed' black bear sitting next to Florida road probably overheated, officials say

"Onlookers were trying to take selfies with the bear and he’s clearly not in the mood for pictures. The bear has shown signs of severe stress," the sheriff's office said.

Authorities in Florida were forced to remind residents and visitors not to approach wildlife after motorists stopped to take selfies with a "depressed" black bear sulking alongside a highway last week.

"Famous last words, 'If not friend, why friend shaped?'" the Walton County Sheriff's Office joked on Instagram alongside photos of the blue bear. "Because this black bear is stressed and depressed, lemon zest."

The sheriff's office said Thursday that deputies were "monitoring" the bear on the north side of Highway 98 near County Road 83 in Santa Rosa Beach, just east of Destin in Florida's Panhandle.

"Onlookers were trying to take selfies with the bear and he’s clearly not in the mood for pictures. The bear has shown signs of severe stress," the sheriff's office said.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officers later responded to the scene, but the bear had already wandered back into the woods. Wildlife officials speculated that the bear may have just been overheated and stopped for a rest before moving on. Temperatures in the region were in the low 90s on July 18.

The sheriff's office warned the public not to approach bears.

"PLEASE DO NOT APPROACH black bears at any time," the sheriff's office said. "Especially those that are showing aggression like this big fella."

Florida is home to an estimated 4,050 black bears statewide, according to FWC. The bears can be found in forests and swamps from the panhandle to Ocala National Forest in the central part of the state to Big Cypress National Preserve in the southwestern part of the state.

Although the black bear was removed from the state's threatened species list in 2012 due to the recovery of their population, they remain a protected species.

Reporting by TMX

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