Bear appears bashful after being caught snooping around airport

A bear appears bashful after being caught snooping around an airport.

The Florida black bear was spotted padding around Tampa International Airport (TPA) this week.

A TSA (Transportation Security Administration) employee noticed the curious creature walking along the airport perimeter fence before reporting it to the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority.

In a coordinated effort, Tampa International Airport staff and police officers worked with local and state agencies to safely capture and remove the critter on Wednesday (14 June) morning.

A Tampa International Airport spokesperson explains: "The Airport, in conjunction with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), immediately set up a trap and a robust perimeter around a dense area of vegetation at the north end of the campus to keep the animal contained.

"Members of TPA Operations, Airport Police, Wildlife Management, Traffic, Tampa Police, Tampa Fire Rescue, and the FWC also maintained overnight surveillance of the area.

"Using infrared helicopter cameras, Tampa Police confirmed the bear slept inside the perimeter overnight. Wednesday morning, the bear finally entered the trap and was captured."

TPA Executive Vice President of Operations John Tiliacos said: "Thanks to these critical efforts, there was no risk to any employees or disruptions to Airport operations."

Per state protocols, FWC has relocated the bear to Ocala National Forest in Central Florida.

The airport say they have no records of any prior bear incursions on their property, and "is confident this was an isolated incident".