A bear appears bashful after being caught snooping around an airport.<br /><br />The Florida black bear was spotted padding around Tampa International Airport (TPA) this week.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />"Members of TPA Operations, Airport Police, Wildlife Management, Traffic, Tampa Police, Tampa Fire Rescue, and the FWC also maintained overnight surveillance of the area.<br /><br />"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."<br /><br />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."<br /><br />Per state protocols, FWC has relocated the bear to Ocala National Forest in Central Florida. <br /><br />The airport say they have no records of any prior bear incursions on their property, and "is confident this was an isolated incident".
