A recent incident involving a wild bear breaking into a residence has once again made headlines in California, adding to the list of bear encounters in the United States. The homeowner, who fell victim to this unwelcome visitor, described the bear as massive in size, indulging in a feast that included a penchant for sugar.
According to a report by KABC TV station, the incident took place on the morning of August 15 in Kern County, California. A black bear entered the home of local resident Bridget Conley and lingered for nearly an hour, fortunately with no one present at the time.
Conley recounted that at 6:15 a.m. that day, she began receiving alerts from her security camera system indicating an intruder in her house located in the Los Padres National Forest community.
“It was so huge. It’s the biggest bear we’ve seen… so big,” she said to the TV station.
Footage from the surveillance camera showed the bear pushing open the door and entering the premises. After a while, it emerged carrying a bag of potato chips.
Conley mentioned that her home was stocked with snacks, and once the bear got inside, it rummaged through, selecting items to consume before going back in for more. It started by devouring most of the dog food, then proceeded to inspect the refrigerator and freezer.
She expressed relief that she wasn’t home at the time and noted the bear’s affinity for sugar. “It went for the sugar and dog food. We think it grabbed a bottle of Worcestershire sauce, probably mistaking it for syrup, and then threw it away. It didn’t like that.”
Conley spent several hours cleaning up her home afterwards, where she found that the bear had left one thing behind: a bottle of vodka.
Bears like the one Conley encountered this time behaved relatively “polite,” only staying in her house for about an hour.
In a previous report by Epoch Times, a bear had once occupied a residential property in California for two weeks, causing distress to the homeowner who eventually sought assistance from authorities to evict the unwanted guest.
Data from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife indicates that the population of black bears in the state has been steadily increasing over the past few decades, ranging from an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 currently, up from 10,000 to 15,000 in the 1980s.
Black bears consume plants, insects, nuts, berries, and anything else they deem edible, including garbage from trash cans. When natural habitats lack food sources, they will venture into human-populated areas in search of sustenance.