A Connecticut family found a hibernating bear under a deck. They're letting it stay.

[Judi Lynn]

The black bear was found nesting on a bed of leaves in a crawl space of their house in Plainville, Conn., last month. A TikTok video of the bear has been viewed more than 15 million times.

By Christine Chung, New York Times News Service

January 9, 2023

On Dec. 30, Vinny Dashukewich and his girlfriend, Olivia Unwin, were playing with his 3-year-old pit bull, Cali, in his backyard in Plainville, Connecticut, when the dog began acting strangely, growling insistently near a raised outdoor deck.



Vinny Dashukewich of Plainville, Conn., and his sister Tyler have named the bear Marty Bearnard. – Tyler Dashukewich

Cali’s behavior was atypical, Dashukewich said, as she usually has a sweet disposition. Then, Unwin yelled that she’d spotted a bear.

Dashukewich didn’t believe it at first. He scanned the woods behind the house, which he shares with his parents and his sister Tyler but spotted no such animal.
Then he locked eyes with a large black bear underneath the house’s elevated deck. The bear, fat and groggy, was nestled in a crawl space, stretched out on a bed of leaves and a tarp.

“He was totally unfazed by everything,” Dashukewich said. “As soon as we saw each other he didn’t move, he didn’t react. He’s definitely super comfortable.”

More:
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2023/01/09/a-family-found-a-hibernating-bear-under-a-deck-theyre-letting-it-stay/

[Vinca]

1. Whoa . . . and to think I'm concerned about the opossum in the crawl space!

[Emile]

2. LOL, no kidding! I would be calling a game warden

to remove it before it kills their dog.

[intrepidity]

3. I mean, if you're going to stumble upon a bear,

I guess a *hibernating* one is the sort you'd want.

But, that now raises questions that I've never considered: what, exactly, does hibernation entail? Is it like a coma, or just a deep sleep? Hmmm, guess I'll be visiting google soon.

[Better Days Ahoy]

4. Plainville is near us. Bear are everywhere in that part of Connecticut

Just leave it be. If it's uncomfortable it'll leave. Kudos for the couple who know how to co-exist without throwing a tizzy.

And regarding the opossum in an earlier reply:
They're very clean, not aggressive, beneficial animals who eat ticks, and are nocturnal. They don't want to interact with you. They just want a safe place to hide from predators. We leave the ones in our yard alone and put out food and water for winged and four-pawed folks to help them survive winter.