OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — A black bear made an unexpected and short-lived appearance at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport on Christmas Day, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
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The sheriff’s office said deputies with its Airport Security Unit were conducting an interior check when they observed the bear running across an area near the rental car zone.
According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the bear quickly climbed onto the top of a jet blast deflector and appeared to be attempting to climb over it.
A deputy shinned a spotlight on the bear and activated a patrol vehicle’s siren to distract it, the sheriff’s office said. The bear then slid down the fence on all four paws, safely landed on the ground, and was observed running back toward the nearby woods.
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The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said all flights at the airport had been canceled at the time due to foggy weather conditions, and no injuries or damage were reported.
Deputies noted that the encounter ended safely for both the bear and airport personnel.
