WARRENTON, Va. — A Ring camera captured video of a bear wandering around a home in Warrenton before trying to take a snack meant for the birds.
According to Ring, the homeowner, only identified as Michael, believes the bear may be responsible for tearing up bird feeders around the neighborhood.
Michael said he received the Ring alert while in Florida, 800 miles away enjoying a beach vacation.
"I was watching it live, of course," he said in a statement.
The bear can be seen in the video roaming around the home before grabbing at a tall bird feeder in the front yard. That is when Michael used the microphone to confront the animal.
"Hey! Get off of that!" Michael can be heard saying in the video.
The bear ran away afterward.
"I didn't want him tearing up my bird feeders," Michael said. "He left the pole bent over so I'll have to fix it when we return to Virginia."
Michael said they have seen one bear before but it's been about 10 years. He claims others who live in the area have seen the same bear on their Ring cameras tearing up bird feeders.
In 2022, a bear was spotted wandering in Arlington, leading the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) to share several tips on how to keep bears from wandering too close to your home:
- Keep garbage in a locked shed or inside until collected or use a bear-resistant container
- Secure any compost piles
- Take down bird feeders
- Secure pet food in bear-resistant containers or inside locked sheds
- Clean up porches/decks
- Never leave food, trash or pet food inside your vehicle
- Keep dogs on a leash at all times
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