Florida family's home frequented by destructive bears

Nov. 2 (UPI) -- A Florida woman said her family's home has been plagued by ever-increasing bear visits, with the encounters now happening about once every two days.

Teana Sayers said the bears have been visiting her family's Lee County home for four years, and they frequently break into the enclosed porch and attempt to enter the house through the sliding glass door.

"I have boarded this up because I've fixed the screen multiple times," Sayers told WOFL-TV. "I feel like we live in fear, and we shouldn't be living like that. This is my home. I've been living here for 29 years."

She said the bears have done more than just damage her property.

"There's times when my husband leaves for work early in the morning and it's dark out and there's a bear on the other side of my side door over here and he can't leave because he's trapped by this bear," Sayers said.

Sayers said she has reached out to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission multiple times, but hasn't received any assistance.

Bears in Florida are known to wander into residential areas in their search for food, and have been caught on camera entering garages, homes and even stealing alcoholic beverages from refrigerators.