A Florida woman screamed in terror after coming face-to-face with a bear on her front porch — and the hilarious encounter was captured on her Ring doorbell camera.
Gina Helsel, 60, had an encounter with the furry species Thursday morning after she used her dog to scare away neighborhood cats
She went out to pick up her pet – only to find a hungry bear rummaging through her neighbor’s garbage and devouring leftover food.
Helsel’s terrified screams and grimaces were captured in high definition, after which the good sport shared its distress with local news station WPBF.
A video captured a funny encounter in which a Florida woman came face to face with a bear after sending her dog to chase neighboring cats off her porch
Gina Helsel explained that she occasionally uses her dog to deter cats from congregating on her porch, but last Thursday morning she encountered a much larger visitor than expected
The commotion seemed to make Helsel struggle with the door, she explained.
“I messed with it, and it wasn’t even fully closed, because I never close it all the way when I take it out.”
Fortunately, once Helsel and her dog made the swift retreat, the bear followed suit.
Helsel explained the incident and laughed at comments her brother made after she told him what happened.
Recalling the conversation, Helsel said her brother couldn’t contain his laughter and told her, “Gina, only you can scream like that.”
Mike Orlando, a biologist with Florida Fish and Wildlife, explained the bear’s behavior, emphasizing that the bear’s actions were typical and not indicative of aggression.
He said the bear focused mainly on the dog and staged a “bluff attack” before both Helsel and her dog backed off, causing the bear to run away.
A hungry bear rummaged through the garbage and chewed on her neighbors’ garbage
Helsel let out a loud cry as she hurried back to her house with her dog, rummaging at the door before taking shelter inside
Helsel said she’s typically very watchful for alligators, snakes and coyotes, but seeing bears in Florida never crossed her mind
Fortunately, once Helsel and her dog made the swift retreat, the bear followed suit
“The bear is mostly focused on the dog, he actually lunges, does a bit of a bluff attack. When she and the dog back off, the bear runs away,” Orlando told WPBF.
He noted that the surprise encounter was the result of mutual surprise: Helsel had not expected a bear’s presence, and the bear had not expected her to appear with her dog.
“They were just all scaring each other, you know, she didn’t expect a bear to be there, and the bear wasn’t prepared for her to show up with the dog,” Orlando said.
Helsel said she’s typically very watchful for alligators, snakes and coyotes, but seeing bears in Florida never occurred to her.
“I’m always looking for alligators, always looking for snakes and a big fear of coyotes, but bears I wasn’t really thinking about,” Helsel said.
Helsel described how her dog gave a signal to clear the porch before the bear unexpectedly peeked its head around the corner.
Helsel’s Daytona Beach residence borders a conservation area that serves as a natural habitat for bears.
More than 4,000 black bears live in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Orlando stressed the importance of securing waste to prevent bears from being attracted to residential areas.
“A way to keep the trash safe so you don’t bring the bear out of the woods into your neighborhood where you can run up like them,” Orlando said.
Helsel made it clear that she harbors no ill feelings towards the bear, saying, “I’m glad the bear is fine, I don’t want anything to happen to the bear.”
“The bear was … he lives here,” she told the outlet.
In June, a black bear cub shocked a man relaxing outside his home in Asheville, North Carolina.
The cub quietly walked over to David Oppenheimer, who was sitting on a chair outside his house, drinking coffee and checking his phone.
Oppenheimer’s security camera captured the incident where the man was completely unaware that the bear was approaching him until the little bear’s nose was just inches from his perched foot.