A Quick Drop-In by the Bear Family

I live in North Asheville where the bear population has become much more visible in the past 3-4 years, mainly because of new development. They normally just wander around, looking for food, but quickly realize that homes are a good source of trash, pet food, and bird feeders. This particular bear family caught me by surprise on my porch one winter morning as I thought they’d be hibernating. They’d been visiting my yard and the porch since August 2017 and had raided the bird feeder once or twice. This time, they came to check if there was anything of interest to them and left empty-handed. Most bears in the neighborhood act in a pretty similar fashion. They come, check for food, and move on if they don’t find any. In order of appearance: Maïté, the mother, Simone, Maurice and Solange, who stays on the stairs.
Video footage shot in Asheville, North Carolina, USA, on Dec. 1, 2017.