Closer and Closer

We saw the black bear again, and I think it was the same untagged juvenile that walked through the yard last summer. He (she?) took the same route, traversing diagonally over to the neighbor's, only this time he was not out in the yard, but directly under our windows!

The bear ambled down this walkway . . .

I looked up from my coffee and there it was right under the kitchen window. It startled me to see such a big black animal so close -- if I had opened the window I could have petted it.

It then walked down the bluestone walkway, stopped right under the bathroom window to check whether the blackhaw viburnum berries were worth bothering with, then continued down our walkway to the garage doors.

Only then did it wander across the pavers and out into the yard as it headed over to our neighbor's crabapples.

The first time I saw this bear in the yard I was between it and the house -- I easily backed into the porch and inside away from the bear.

This time, if I had been outside in the garden, the bear would have been between the house and me. It would have been closer to the door, and I would have been out in the middle of the yard. Awkward, but not really dangerous.

. . . then it went to the garage doors before crossing the pavers and wandering on

Despite my initial worries about surprising one or getting too close, research tells me black bears are big, strong and timid. They get nervous when humans are near, and if too near they may bluster and huff out of anxiety, but they won't attack. Instead they'll look for a tree to climb.

We don't really have large enough trees in our yard for a nervous black bear to climb, so best to give them space and ease their anxiety by backing away quietly.

We did not get any pictures, we were so stunned watching the bear right outside the house, and didn't stop to get our cameras.

This guy is getting closer and closer each time he visits. Next time I see him I expect to find him in the kitchen standing in front of the refrigerator with the door open. Then I'll get a picture, I promise.


Here's a good site with lots of info on black bears and humans: