A Florida woman screamed in terror after encountering a bear on her porch – and the hilarious encounter was caught on her Ring doorbell camera.
Gina Helsel, 60, had an encounter with a furry animal Thursday morning after using her dog to scare the neighborhood’s cats away
She went to get her pet — and found a hungry bear digging through her neighbor’s trash, wolfing down scraps of food.
Helsel’s terrified screams and grimaces were captured in high definition, and the good athlete subsequently shared her distress with local news station WPBF.
One video captured an amusing encounter in which a Florida woman faced a bear after sending her dog to scare neighboring cats off her porch
Gina Helsel explained that she occasionally uses her dog to deter cats from congregating on her porch, but this past Thursday morning she encountered a much larger visitor than expected
The uproar seemed to have Helsel struggling with the door, she explained.
“I fiddled with it and it wasn’t even fully closed because I never fully close it when I take it out.”
Fortunately, when Helsel and her dog quickly retreated, the bear followed suit.
Helsel took the incident down and laughed at her brother’s remarks after she told him what happened.
Recalling the conversation, Helsel said her brother couldn’t help but laugh and told her, “Gina, only you can scream like that.”
Mike Orlando, a biologist at Florida Fish and Wildlife, explained the bear’s behavior, stressing that the bear’s actions were typical and did not indicate aggression.
He mentioned that the bear primarily focused on the dog and performed a “bluff attack” before Helsel and her dog backed off and the bear ran away.
A hungry bear was digging through the trash and chewing on her neighbor’s trash
Helsel let out a loud squeak as she scurried back to her house with her dog, fumbling with the door before taking shelter inside
Helsel said she’s usually very alert to alligators, snakes and coyotes, but seeing bears in Florida never crossed her mind
Fortunately, when Helsel and her dog quickly retreated, the bear followed suit
“The bear’s main focus is on the dog, he’s basically lunging and doing a little bluffing attack.” “As she and the dog back off, the bear runs away,” Orlando told WPBF.
He noted that the surprising encounter was the result of mutual surprise: Helsel hadn’t expected a bear to be there, and the bear hadn’t expected her to show up with her dog.
“They just all scared each other, you know, she didn’t expect a bear to be sitting there and the bear wasn’t prepared for her to show up with the dog,” Orlando said.
Helsel said she’s usually very alert to alligators, snakes and coyotes, but seeing bears in Florida never crossed her mind.
“I’m always on the lookout for alligators, always on the lookout for snakes, and I’m very scared of coyotes, but I didn’t really think about bears,” Helsel said.
Helsel described how her dog gave a signal to clear the porch before the bear unexpectedly peeked his head around the corner.
Helsel’s Daytona Beach home borders a wildlife sanctuary that serves as a natural habitat for bears.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there are more than 4,000 black bears in Florida.
Orlando stressed the importance of securing litter to prevent bears from being lured into residential areas.
“A way to keep the litter safe so you don’t bring the bear out of the woods and into your neighborhood where there could be a clash like she did,” Orlando said.
Helsel made it clear that she harbors no ill feelings toward the bear, stating, “I’m glad the bear is ok, 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 who was relaxing outside his home in Asheville, North Carolina.
The cub trotted quietly towards David Oppenheimer, who was sitting in a chair in front of his house, sipping a coffee and looking at his phone.
Oppenheimer’s security camera at home captured the incident, during which the man didn’t even realize the bear was coming his way until the little bear’s nose was inches from his foot.