GULF BREEZE, Fla. — Wildlife officials are warning residents in a Florida Panhandle community to keep an eye on their pets after a black bear killed a pet dog.
The Pensacola News Journal reports the incident happened Sunday night in a backyard in Gulf Breeze.
Florida Fish and Wildlife officials say the female bear with cubs encountered the dog and killed it.
Wildlife officials are canvassing the area to search for the bear. And biologists are setting a trap to try to catch the bear.
The newspaper reports bear sightings have become increasingly common in the area as land is sold and houses are built. This has taken away the bears' natural habitat.
