3-legged bear breaks into lanai, raids patio fridge of Florida home
LAKE MARY - A three-legged bear affectionately known to neighbors in Lake Mary as Tripod broke into a lanai over the weekend and had a small party.
Josaury Faneite-Diglio said she received a security camera notification and saw on her camera that Tripod was paying a visit to their Magnolia Plantation home around 5 p.m. on Sunday.
At the same time, her son, Joseph Diglio, heard the family dog begin to bark. When he spotted Tripod breaking into the lanai, he started recording.
"Oh my God. I've never been this close to a bear," he can be heard saying in the video.
As for any damage, Tripod mostly just sampled their patio refreshments and left a hole in their screen.
"He ate the fish food we had outside next to our fish tank and then proceeded to the bar," Faneite-Digliosaid. "He took three White Claws, drank, and left very happy. His favorite flavor is mango and strawberry."
While the bear's ability to open the fridge was pretty cool, it was also kind of concerning for Joseph.
"Once I saw him open the fridge, I got scared that he could open the doors to like the houses," he said.
Diglio said he went and locked all the doors.
Faneite-Diglio said that despite the small mess, Tripod is a well-liked member of the neighborhood.
"I was not scared because we know the bear really well. He lives here; we respect their habitat as much as we can," she said.
Joseph says it's the second time a bear has broken through the patio screen to poke around inside.