Rude Black Bear Enters Home Without Permission, Then Closes It in Apology

Written by Megan Martin
Updated: October 18, 2023
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Have you ever had an unwelcome guest appear at your home? While this may be an unpleasant experience for many people, one woman experienced the typical unwelcome guest with a twist.

Watch the Amazing Video Below!

The video opens with a surprising scene: a black bear peeking in through the open door! Having used its mouth to turn the knob and open the door, the black bear stands in the door frame. The bear seems pleased with itself as it observes the inside of the house.

As the black bear stares at the camera, mouth open, the woman, Susan, talks to it. If you were face to face with a bear who’d just entered your house, you would likely feel at least a bit nervous. However, no fear can be heard in the woman’s voice as she politely asks the bear to shut the door. She even talks to the bear as one would a child or beloved pet. She refers to it as “sweetie” and “good boy.”

The video then cuts to a new scene with the reporter standing in front of a forest. It is later made clear to be Susan’s property. Behind him, several more black bears rummage around the forest floor, clearly at home here.

The video then returns to Susan’s footage from inside her home, where the black bear is pawing at her carpet. She continues to ask the bear to close the door. Like humans, dogs, and several other types of animals, the black bear can understand Susan’s tone — even if it doesn’t understand her words exactly. It contemplates its decision of entering the house or leaving, scratching its head. Then, as if understanding that it had overstayed its welcome, the bear takes the knob in its mouth once more and shuts the door — all the way.

Black bears break into homes

Black bears break into homes with windows or doors left open in summer. The smell of food draws them in!

©steverts/iStock via Getty Images

Why Do Bears Enter Homes?

There are many reasons that a bear may decide to enter a home.

If a bear enters your home or campsite, they’re usually after one thing: food. From meat to garbage to camping supplies, we can bring a lot of different types of food into the bear’s habitat. If this food isn’t properly stored, the smell of it can spread quickly throughout the forest. This can cause a hungry bear to wander nearby, looking for a quick and easy meal. Because of the frequency of litter and human feeding, many bears have come to realize that human food is extremely nutrient-rich. It’s also easy to acquire. As a result, bears view this as a high-reward and low-risk food supply, making it all the more alluring.

black bear

If a bear enters your home or campsite, they’re usually after one thing:

food

.

©Wild Art/Shutterstock.com

Another one of the most common reasons is that they’re curious. Our homes can be filled with different sounds and smells. As a result, curious and calm species like the black bear are prone to explore, as seen with Susan’s house and property.

Although many black bears will not seek to attack humans, as seen in the video, this isn’t the case for all bears. If you live in an area where encounters are common, knowledge is important. Learning the proper ways to handle an encounter, as Susan did, is the best way to keep you — and the bear — safe.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Mandy Fuller Photography


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About the Author

Megan is a writer at A-Z Animals where her primary focus is birds, felines, and sharks. She has been researching and writing about animals for four years, and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with minors in biology and professional and technical writing from Wingate University, which she earned in 2022. A resident of North Carolina, Megan is an avid birdwatcher that enjoys spending time with her cats and exploring local zoological parks with her husband.

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