NAPLES, FL — A Naples homeowner got a big surprise recently when a Florida black bear was caught on camera ringing the front door bell. Video from a Ring doorbell camera obtained by WPLG News shows the bear walking up to the front door, knocking over some Christmas decorations and finally pushing its nose on the doorbell.
The homeowner safely answered the door using the intercom and forcefully told the bear to "go away" several times. The bear gets the hint and eventually walks away. The fall months are known as bear season in northern and central Florida as the animals search for food ahead of winter. Bear sightings typically peak in December and then drop off as the warm weather bears enter into a state of "lethargy" -- rather than full-on hibernation -- for the winter months.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says that the bears can consume up to 20,000 calories a day during autumn, making them constantly on the look-out for easy sources of food. State officials urge residents to secure trash cans and never to feed the animals as not to attract the bears into residential communities.
