Woman mistakes local cub bear for neighbor’s dog

• A woman was sitting in her car when she noticed the neighbor’s dog sitting behind the vehicle. 
• She later realized it was a local bear cub.
• The woman said Tahoe bears are common in their area.

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Katie Rogers was waiting for her husband in the car outside her home in South Lake Tahoe, California when she spotted what she assumed was the neighbor’s dog sitting behind the car. She didn’t think much of it until she realized it wasn’t the neighbor’s dog.

Rogers told The Dodo:

“At first glance, I noticed one of the neighbors standing ahead of my car looking like he was out for a walk with his dog. But his face had a peculiar expression and he pointed towards the ‘dog’ I originally thought was sniffing around my car, [and I realized] it was in fact one of the local bear cubs.”

The curious cub continued being sidetracked by everything around him as the neighbor tried to gently shoo him down the street and away from traffic. Rogers was both happy and unsurprised to see the cub so near to her car.

She explained that Tahoe bears are extremely used to humans and that she sees them almost every week.

“Most times they … are easily frightened off with clapping, yelling, whatever. I have even used my best ‘disappointed mom’ voice with some success!” she added.

The cub eventually left, but he returned later to look through the couple’s dumpster for a snack. There wasn’t, unfortunately, but no one can fault him for trying.

Source: The Dodo