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When you live in bear country, you have to take more precautions than the average homeowner to keep your place safe. It's not everyone who has to worry about safeguarding their homes and garbage cans from several-hundred-pound eating machines covered in fur and fangs! You live near the woods, you've gotta contend with some gnarly neighbors.
Still, it doesn't always take much to dissuade a burly bear from coming too close. A California homeowner captured a black bear climbing onto their porch, possibly to attempt a break-in, only to dramatically - and hilariously - meet its match with a simple electric mat!
That's what we call a one-hit KO! A proximity alert can be heard chirping on the @dailymail 's video, but the black bear continues to climb the steps, unaware of the trap he's about to walk into. In a moment of comedic irony, he stops and almost appears like he's reading the warning sign before ducking under it and casually placing its paw on the electric mat - big mistake. One split-second later, and the poor bear practically somersaults his way off the porch and runs for his life! Electric mat 1, bear 0.
Related: Black Bear Emerges From Hibernation Underneath a North Carolina Family’s Home
While it's a shame that this bear had to learn his lesson the hard way, this is clearly the best outcome for both bear and homeowner alike. Bear break-ins are a genuine issue in the springtime, especially in places with high bear populations like Lake Tahoe and the Smoky Mountains . Hungry after hibernation, opportunistic bears are willing to break into kitchens and cars to snag a quick meal. This can lead to significant property damage, dangerous human-bear encounters, and the possibility of desensitizing bears to human presence or worse, training them to see us as food sources. Effective deterrents aren't always pleasant, but they can prevent disaster.
Tahoe Bear Busters' Electric Mats
According to the Daily Mail , this footage comes from Tahoe Bear Busters , the Truckee, California-based security supply company that makes these mats. According to their site's FAQs , the shock isn't strong enough to actually harm the bear, but it's uncomfortable enough to send a message. Bears are pretty good at putting two and two together, and they learn quickly not to mess with homes that have these deterrents in place.
In addition to their electric mats, Tahoe Bear Busters also manufactures a range of bear-proof electric fences in Lake Tahoe . According to them, electric fences (and by extension, mats) are widely supported as a safe, effective, and ethical bear deterrent!
Bears deserve to be wild and free, and humans deserve to be safe from them in their homes. An electric mat may not be a pleasant surprise, but it's a deterrent that keeps everyone safe. After watching the dramatic reaction this poor bear had to that mat, I can guarantee he's not gonna bother that house in the future!
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