Man startled as black bear suddenly wanders into his garden
Claire Reid
Featured Image Credit: TMX/David Oppenheimer
A man relaxing in his garden was shocked to turn around and see a black bear making its way towards him - and he’s a lot calmer than I would have been in his shoes, I can tell you that.
David Oppenheimer was lying on a lounger chair in his backyard in Asheville, North Carolina, last week when the black bear decided to pop into his garden - you can see the moment the pair spotted each other here:
Oppenheimer was making the most of the sunshine, when he heard an alarm from his motion detector but the bear still hadn’t shown its face yet.
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He told CNN: “I looked behind me and didn’t see anything, but about a minute later, the bear came along and was practically in front of me.”
In footage caught by Oppenheimer’s doorbell camera, you can see the exact moment the bear rounds the corner and makes eye contact with him, with both man and beast appearing surprised at the sight of the other.
Oppenheimer can be seen quickly grasping hold of a cushion with a look of shock etched across his face.
Speaking to Insider, he explained: "I was holding on to that pillow and thought if it came at me I would stuff the pillow in its mouth.”
However, he needn’t have been too concerned as the bear seemed just as keen to avoid an interaction and can be heard to make a sound before trotting off in the opposite direction.
Oppenheimer joked: “My eyeballs certainly got a stretch.”
Despite their mutual surprise at coming up close to one another - he says this isn’t the first time he’s seen the bear.
In the past, Oppenheimer said he has seen this particular bear mooching around his trash cans and attempting to grab a bite from his ‘bear-proof’ bird feeder.
And the bear in the clip isn’t the only one to pop into his garden over the years.
"Sometimes the bears take naps under the dogwood tree in my backyard," he told Insider.
"I think it's more of a funny situation than something to worry about.
"I have watched many generations of cubs grow up here and they are familiar with me and the place."
He said the creatures are not uncommon in the area and are ‘used to people, and they encounter people all the time, especially dog walkers’.
“The bears here are very peaceful,” Oppenheimer added. “This one just caught me off guard.”