“It was about 5:30 in the morning when my husband and I were awoken by birds – magpies and crows being way too loud for that time of day. We couldn't go back to sleep because it was June so it was getting light really early. As we made our way downstairs, my husband glanced out the bedroom window to see my car in the driveway...with every single door open. I ran out to assess the damage: the bear had pulled out my children's book boxes from Off the Beaten Path (which I was saving as a surprise on the last day of school, which was that day). Books and pencils were strewn across the driveway along with coupons for free cookies (the irony!). The bear left muddy footprints all over the car, pulled off the door handle and scratched the leather interior....but he didn't ruin the books!” Courtesy of Sophie Dingle.

“One night I went to bed and was startled by one of my cats barreling down the hallway toward my bedroom. She leapt into bed, shaking and trying to make herself as small as possible. I figured something must have scared her by the window where she usually slept. When I got a closer look through the window I noticed a huge black bear was inches from the glass, downing the birdseed we had left out earlier that day. As soon as I flipped on the porch light, it looked up, jogged off into the dark and left behind one terrified cat and a wrecked bird feeder. That’s when I learned not to leave birdseed out overnight.” Courtesy of Kenny McCarthy.

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