A South Lake Tahoe homeowner scared off a black bear that pushed through the screen door of his backdoor last month.
Video captured on the homeowner’s Ring floodlight camera showed the bear walking along the backyard of the home, which appears to be on the Tahoe Keys, a residential neighborhood with direct water access and boating docks.
In the video, which was taken Aug. 2, the bear can be seen walking up to the backdoor of the house, pausing in front of the screen door before abruptly pushing it in.
The homeowner, identified only as Troy, told Ring that he was home alone as he watched the bear push through the screen door to enter his house.
He immediately began clapping his hands and yelling, scaring the bear off as it tucked its tail and left from the same hole it used to get in. The commotion from inside can be heard on the video.
Troy can be seen following the bear out, watching it as it walks along the backyards of the neighborhood before disappearing from view. Clearly frustrated, the homeowner then pulls out the damaged door to assess the damage.
This isn’t the first time Troy has encountered a bear on his property and he has advice for others who might find themselves living in bear country.
“Don’t leave your sliding door open [with] just the screen door closed,” he said.
The cost for that mistake? $360.
Bear encounters at California homes are not uncommon and are even happening with more regularity due to soaring temperatures.
Just last month, a female black bear and her three cubs were captured, believed to be responsible for more than 20 “break-ins” in the South Lake Tahoe area. That same mother bear was somewhat erroneously identified on social media as “Hank the Tank,” after she was captured on photo following another break-in. In reality, it turned out “Hank” was actually three bears, that female bear being one of them to receive the unflattering moniker.
To reduce the likelihood of having a bad encounter with a bear, the National Park Service has a list of tips and tricks to avoid encounters, as well as what to do if you come face-to-face with one of the apex predators.
Some of those tips include talking calmly to the bear so it knows you’re human and not prey, getting as big as possible and remaining calm. You should never run from a bear, climb a tree to escape the bear or allow the bear to eat your food.
For more tips, including when to play dead and when to fight back, click here.