SOUTHAMPTON – An unexpected visitor arrived at the town’s Memorial Day ceremony Monday morning, causing a short-lived commotion at the edge of the crowd.
Shortly after the ceremony began in Center Cemetery, a large black bear made its way about 30 to 40 yards from those who gathered for the event, according to photographer Robert Floyd.
“The ceremony had just started. I heard rustling and I ran around the crowd of people and saw the bear,” said Floyd, who also serves as town moderator. “One of the police officers was shooing it away. It was a good size bear.”
Floyd photographs the town’s Memorial Day parade and events each year and was ready with a camera in hand as the bear sauntered around the perimeter of the crowd about 9:15 a.m.
“I knew something was going on,” he said. “I saw (the crowd) turning their backs.”
It was the second time in two days that a black bear was seen at Memorial Day ceremonies. On Sunday afternoon, a black bear was looking down from a tree as a veteran peered at his name on the Vietnam War memorial in Leeds.