Mama Bear and Cub Caught on Doorbell Camera Peeking in Window, Pawing at Door
Two black bears who dropped by a house in Sanford, Florida, on Christmas were caught on a Ring doorbell camera sniffing around and grabbing at the door handle.
Marlene Stark told FOX 35 that she was unsure of what could have attracted the bears to her house. She said she was preparing a holiday roast, but the pan was covered and she was inside.
"We didn't know [they were] bears initially, so we ran to the front door and said, 'Oh my goodness,' and then we immediately threw the bolt lock," Stark told the outlet.
The 43-second video clip shows a mother bear and her cub strolling up to the front door. The young cub peers through the window next to the door before it stands up on its hind legs and paws at the door handle. The two curious bears sniffed around the area a bit more before the video ends.
Stark said it is not uncommon to find different wildlife species in the community and has seen bears, bobcats and bald eagles frequently. Despite seeing the wildlife out and about, Stark was surprised that the bears were bold enough to walk up to the door.
"I had no idea they had that capability to open the front door, so I'm so glad it was locked," she told the outlet, with a laugh.
Chad Weber, the public information officer for the northeast region of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation and Commission, told Newsweek black bears are the sole species of bears that are found in Florida.
He said black bears are extremely curious animals by nature and have a huge roaming radius. Because of that, they may be found walking through a residential area.
Though many may assume that bears should be hibernating at this point of the year, Weber said bears in Florida do not have a hibernation period due to the climate, and they remain active. The bears will go into a period where they consume a large number of calories, like other black bears throughout the United States.
Weber confirmed that there is a lot of bear activity in the Sanford area. There are also instances of interactions between bears and humans.
"That can happen when people leave food and pet food outside," Weber said. "It can even happen if people don't clean their grills."
To curb the number of these interactions, Weber said the organization encourages people to secure any bear attractants. If someone calls a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation and Commission office to report a bear on their property, they are given a few pieces of advice, including not getting between a mother and her cub and making a lot of noise.
If the issue persists and a resident constantly has bears coming onto their property, a biologist will go to the house to explain how to appropriately secure the attractants.
"We take an educational approach at first, but if it becomes a problem when humans leave out the attractants, law enforcement will speak with the people," Weber said, noting that citations may be issued when necessary.
Newsweek previously reported that Virginia officials closed a road in a neighborhood and told residents to stay inside when a black bear and three cubs were found napping in a tree.
