Guess What We Saw!

My Saturday morning started out with two messages on my answering machine, telling me that there was a BEAR up a tree three houses up the road from mine!

I've lived in PA for 16 years, and even tho bears are here, you don't see them very often, so it is a sight most people consider special. I'm terrified of bears, and have never gotten used to the idea that they are near, but I woke Elissa and Dakota, and the three of us went to see.

The baby was up the tree-a year old baby-probably 2-3 feet tall, and mama bear was at the top of the hill above, at the edge of the woods. She wanted the baby, but didn't want to come near us. It was also thought that she stayed up at the edge of the woods because she probably had another cub in the woods that she was also trying to protect.

The neighbor showed me his back porch where his trash can had been, and then showed me where a bear had taken the trash can just a few days earlier, and completely mangled it, leaving it in the yard. It ate all of his bird seed, and rolled around in his flowers! lol

We watched from our car for several minutes, and then Pete(the neighbor) brought out a jar of peanut butter and a long stick, and told us he was going to go rub the peanut butter on the tree since bears love peanut butter. I, of course, asked him if he was suicidal, but he said no. Elissa had her cell phone and HAD to get this on video! And my son told her to make sure she got pictures when the bear ate Pete! lol

The bear was up the tree ALL DAY! Finally around 8 or so at night, they disappeared.

I'm afraid of them, but they are quite a sight! The babies are so cute, and the black fur is gorgeous! Black bears are not aggressive, and everyone in PA will tell you that they won't bother you if you don't bother them. But it is also common knowledge that you should never get between a mother and her cubs. The mama we saw did stand on her back legs a couple of times at the top of the hill, and she also cried a message to her baby or to us--I don't know if they call bear calls barking, crying or what. But I'd never heard it before, and it was neat to hear.

I didn't want to see her distressed, but seeing this mama and her baby was a cool site! And I just wanted to share!