A family in Colorado Springs experienced an unusual morning wake-up in July when a bear visited their kitchen. Security footage captured the animal entering the home on July 21 and helping itself to breakfast.
Nerissa England, the homeowner, recounted, “I heard a bang while getting ready in the morning. I asked my three children if they were okay, and they were upstairs playing.” Her curious 8-year-old daughter, Zara Lee, went downstairs to investigate while England’s husband followed to get coffee.
Upon entering the kitchen, they witnessed a bear eating their trash just outside the kitchen door. The bear had accessed the home through a back door left open for ventilation in the summer heat.
England said that the bear consumed some Flintstones vitamins from the table before dragging a trash can outside to sift through its contents. Zara Lee and her father managed to scare the bear away by making noise and opening the door.
Reflecting on the encounter, England remarked, “We’ll be keeping the door shut for a while until local bears find enough food and hibernate.”
Bears have increasingly invaded homes in the U.S. due to a dry winter that depleted their natural food sources, including plants, grasses, berries, and nuts, according to Reuters. Their search for sustenance has led to a spike in interactions with humans, resulting in record bear fatalities in some regions. Many bears have been euthanized, hit by vehicles, or killed under various circumstances during these encounters.
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