Scary Moment Black Bear Approaches Man Napping by Pool Caught on Camera
The terrifying moment a black bear approached a man who was taking a nap by a pool in Massachusetts has been caught on a Ring camera.
In the footage taken by the surveillance camera, a black bear can be seen wandering into a backyard with a pool in Greenfield. The man can be seen taking a nap on the sunlounger, oblivious to the bear's presence.
The bear walks over to investigate the pool and begins prowling and sniffing at the water. All the while. The man on the sun lounger is still unaware of the intruder.
The bear can then be seen walking straight up to the man, who remains motionless. In a nail-biting moment, the bear then uses its paw to touch the man's foot.
The man wakes up, startled, and the bear, becoming scared, runs away. The man sits up and looks after the bear in disbelief, picking up his phone as if to try to take a picture, however, the bear is already out of sight.
While black bears can and have attacked people, they are not typically aggressive and are usually shy of humans. The bear in the video appears reluctant to stay as soon as the man wakes up.
Massachusetts has a rising population of black bears. The government estimates there are around 4,500 in the state.
Bears are more active in the early morning and late evening in the spring and summer, meaning 'bear season' is just about to start. During bear season, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife suggests people learn how to avoid conflicts by making sure there is nothing to attract them to their properties and neighborhoods.
As residential properties grow and take up more bear habitat, interactions and conflicts can occur.
The wild animals can be attracted to residential areas for a number of reasons. Garbage that has not been disposed of properly can attract bears on the lookout for food. Even bird feeders can attract them when left out in gardens as they are an easy source of calories.
It is not the first time a bear has caused a stir for wandering around a neighborhood has been captured on home surveillance cameras.
In January, a Ring device at a house in California captured the moment an Amazon delivery driver came face to face with a bear.
The start of the video shows the bear lurking behind the gate of the driveway, before disappearing out of sight. Soon after, the delivery driver walks straight up to the driveway where the bear is prowling.
A motion sensor can be heard going off, alerting the homeowner through an app, who was out shopping at the time. The owner warns the delivery driver not to move any closer to the bear.
A tense few seconds show the driver contemplating what to do next, before raising his arms, making himself appear bigger to the bear. The bear then instantly backs away.
