A Colorado family recorded a family of bears playing on their backyard swing set. The homeowner, who caught the incredible images on his security camera, posted them online and showed a mother and her two cubs roaming around his yard and one of the cubs jumping on a swing.
Experts say that bears across America are more likely to enter human habitats than ever before but warn people never to approach them. In a recent baffling incident in Connecticut, police were called by a car owner who was shocked to find an adult bear and a cub in his car with the radio playing and the horn frequently blowing. Officers opened the car door, and the bears ran into the woods, but nobody could explain how they had entered the car or played the radio.
In June, a man in California posted images to social media showing the moment a large bear casually walked into his kitchen while he was busy washing dishes. Jason Wightman posted a five-minute video showing the animal walking toward him while he simultaneously noted a second one in his backyard. He opened the door and signaled to the bear to leave, and after a short time, the 300-pound creature peacefully walked outside, joined its friend, and left Mr. Wightman’s property.
Earlier this year, in Tahoe, officials reported that a record number of bears were entering homes and other buildings, including churches, looking for food and shelter. Ann Byrant of the Bear League said more than 100 animals were discovered indoors over the winter, a record high. She noted that the problem was not a higher number of bears but of humans.
Similarly, in Connecticut, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reports record numbers of bears entering people’s homes. Jenny Dickson, director of DEEP’s Wildlife Division, said humans are to blame, and bears have picked up bad habits, including seeking out food people have discarded. “They’re teaching other bears to do bad things, and the population is continuing to grow,” she said.
