Workers hope doughnuts lure mystery animal

? Whether the mystery critter roaming northern Florida is an orangutan, a “baby Bigfoot” or something else, wildlife officials think it might have a bit of Homer Simpson in it.

After a bear hunter said an animal that could be an orangutan stole jelly doughnuts from him, a wildlife investigator has tried to use sweet treats to lure the creature into the open in Baker County.

There have been several sightings of what witnesses have described as a “big orange ball of fur,” though officials have yet to confirm it’s an orangutan, said Karen Parker, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Fish and wildlife investigator Ken Holmes laid doughnuts at the base of a tree in hopes of catching the animal, but it eluded him.

It’s illegal to own an orangutan in Florida without a commercial permit, and none are registered in the area, Holmes said. The closest zoo is in Jacksonville, about 30 miles east, but it hasn’t reported any missing animals.