Gelato-eating bear feasts at Longwood woman's home

LONGWOOD, Fla. — A Longwood woman was shocked to find a furry prowler rummaging through the freezer in her garage over the weekend.

Claudia Chindamo left her garage door up Sunday, while she was doing some yard work, when her neighbor caught a bear on camera, grabbing a bite to eat from the freezer.

“It’s amazing, and he laid there in the driveway and had a feast. (He) definitely had a sweet tooth,” Chindamo said. “He unwrapped the foil and ate it.”

The bear chowed down on zucchini bread that Chindamo said she bakes every year for the holidays. The bear also ate an entire carton of coconut-flavored gelato, she said.

“I always keep a supply in the freezer, just in case I need one to give it to somebody, and this time, a bear got it,” Chindamo said.

This is the time of year when bears store fat for hibernation, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

As the time approaches, bears can consume nearly 20,000 calories a day, the FWC said.

FWC said it has received more than 300 bear-related calls in Seminole County this year.

“I just think it’s a great thing the bears do come through the neighborhood, but it’s important we're smart. Keep our garage door shut," said neighbor Richard Horbert.

The bear didn’t make off with all of Chindamo’s freezer food. It was still packed with chicken and fish on Wednesday, because police responded to her home and scared it off with a loud horn.

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