California Woman Finds Bear Settling in for a Nap in Her Basement Like It's NBD
As much of the country recovers from a major freeze, including record-low temperatures, creatures of all backgrounds are looking for places to warm up. Fortunately, many warm-blooded mammals spend the winter months hibernating in their dens--but not everybody!
Southern California homeowner Tina Herzog spotted a very familiar sight outside her Monrovia, California home over the weekend: a black bear walking up her driveway! The animal set off Tina's Ring camera, and she thought nothing of the fascinating but common visitor. However, she was in for the shock of a lifetime when she found the bear asleep in her basement the very next morning. What she did next, though, is even more surprising than how the bear got inside!
OMFG! That's a very large black bear, and I'd probably just surrender my whole house to it if I found it sleeping in the basement. I'm more fascinated by wild animals than most everyone on Earth, but I'd have zero confidence if I came face-to-face with a bear. However, this brave homeowner had the exact opposite reaction. Clearly, she's used to being safe around black bears.
Related: Precious Up-Close Video of Sleepy Bear Is a Sight to See
Once she figured out that the bear crawled in through the crawlspace (that's taking the name a bit literally, but OK), she was courageous--or unhinged--enough to attempt to wake the bear and get it to leave. As Hoda Kotb from @thetodayshow explained, Tina tried banging pots and pans to get the black bear from the backyard to leave, but what it truly hated was the smell of the mothballs she threw at it. Who knew? Even though a few commenters agreed that moth balls smell terrible, far more viewers are impressed with everyone's nonchalance about the situation. No one blames the bear for seeking out a warm shelter, especially when this winter has been especially chilly.
Did You Know That Not All Bears Hibernate?
If you were taught in school that bears tend to hibernate throughout the winter, you're not alone. I didn't learn until adulthood that many black bears don't hibernate, including the ones in California. True, these bears can sleep for months at a time when the weather is cold, but you'd be lying to yourself if you thought you'd never see one in winter. They still forage for food in the colder months, though they won't be as active as during the spring and summer months. So the commenters who guessed that this big bear is just looking for a place to nap are probably right!
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