Bear seemingly tightrope-walks across fence in Florida neighborhood: 'Let it do its thing'

MARY ESTHER, Fla. - A balancing bear stole the show in a Florida neighborhood last week – and no, the circus wasn't in town!

A bear was caught on camera tightrope-walking across a wooden fence in Mary Esther on July 18. The video captured by Ryan Campbell shows the furry fella performing an acrobatic act of some kind in the Florida Panhandle city located east of Pensacola. 

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Campbell told Storyful he first noticed the bear peeking over his backyard fence. 

"We both made eye contact. I was hoping he was going to find a different route after he saw me, but decided he wasn’t," Campbell said, according to Storyful. "I gave him some space. Let it do its thing."

(Photo: Ryan Campbell via Storyful)

What was the bear's "thing," you ask? It hopped off the fence and darted across the street into a neighbor's front yard, of course.  

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It's not uncommon to come across bears in neighborhoods across Florida as they look for food, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. If you see a bear, don't approach it or feed it, and be sure to keep dogs and other pets secured or on a short leash.