Florida police urge public not to take selfies with 'stressed and depressed' black bear

Florida police have asked people not to take pictures with a "depressed" black bear which has been seen sat alone on the side of a main road.

Walton County Sheriff's Office had said its deputies were monitoring the animal, which it described as "stressed, depressed, lemon zest".

Passers-by were spotted trying to take selfies with the bear on the north side of Highway 98 in Santa Rosa Beach, according to the sheriff's office, in a post on X.

The post was captioned: "Famous last words, 'If not friend, why friend shaped?'"

"He's clearly not in the mood for pictures," the sheriff's office said. "The bear has shown signs of severe stress.

"We're going to leave the rest to the pros at Florida Fish and Wildlife who are en route.

"Please do not approach black bears at any time. Especially those that are showing aggression like this big fella."

Black bears can be found throughout North America, but their current distribution is restricted to relatively undisturbed forested regions, the North American Bear Centre said.

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