Watch a Teacher Jump Out of His Own Skin When He Opens the Dumpster and Finds a Bear

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This poor teacher goes to check out the garbage and finds something very different! As soon as he loosens the top of the dumpster, a black bear pokes its nose out! Watch the video above to see the full startling footage.

Where Do Black Bears Normally Live?

The American black bear (Ursus americanus) lives in most of the North American continent. Most often, they are associated with areas such as Alaska and Canada but their range extends as far south as northern Mexico.

They are able to live in a variety of habitats. You will find them in both coniferous and deciduous forests, but they also live in alpine forests. They like to live in areas where there is vegetation cover and this provides both protection and a food source.

Whilst they do not live in dumpsters, it is not unusual to find them around human settlements. This is because they are looking for food!

Do Black Bears Normally Eat Garbage?

Black bears are omnivores and have been known to eat just about anything! Most of their diet is made up of berries, roots, and plants. However, they will also eat insects and fish and will kill larger animals such as elk and even moose. However, they are much more likely to target calves rather than adults.

Ultimately black bears want to get as many calories as they can without expending a lot of energy! This makes human food very attractive to them. If they can pinch human food they get a lot of calories without having to put in much effort. Dumpsters are a typical source of waste human food. Bears have an excellent sense of smell and can detect dumpsters full of food from miles away. When bears are constantly attracted to human food sources they can become a nuisance. As we clearly see in this clip!

How to Keep Bears Away From Your Yard

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department has some tips on how to deter bears from your yard. Start by removing waste food that would attract them. Motion-activated lights and noise alarms can be useful. You could also try leaving a radio on which will put some bears off. Scent deterrents can be effective – they don’t like the scent of pine-based cleaners. You may even have to resort to electric fencing!