An orphaned black bear cub rescued in Lake County is now under veterinary care at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo.
The Forest Service named him Smokey Junior. Lake County Fire Chief Jim Dickerson says some residents found him near a brush fire.
“Some citizens were there, they heard something and then this little cub walked up to them and they took it to the nearest firefighter they could find,” said Dickerson.
Dickerson said crews looked for a mother bear to no avail. The zoo says Smokey is eating and zoo officials are minimizing his exposure to humans in hopes of releasing him back to the wild.