WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — Russ Carr couldn’t believe his eyes when he stepped outside on Monday.

A black bear was in the backyard of his home on Tollgate Road, which is right off Route 2.

“He came up from the woods, knocked this over, snapped the pole in half and he was eating out of the birdfeeder and we were just talking to him,” Carr said.

“It was scary at first, but then you got used to it,” he continued. “Then he walked over this way and then he went back into the woods and then at nine o’clock he came back.”

Cameras on his home captured the bear return, roaming through the yard and even climbing onto the deck before taking off again.

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Carr said the bear was about five or six feet tall and described him as muscular. He said he has seen a lot of different animals in his yard, but never a bear.

Rhode Islanders have been seeing an uptick in black bear sightings, but the R.I. Department of Environmental Management (DEM) said that it’s not out of the ordinary, especially as the weather gets warmer.

Officials advise removing food sources, like bird feeders from spring to fall, and if you see a bear, don’t approach it.

Black bear sightings were more common in the Ocean State in the 1800s before the DEM said habitat loss drove them away.

Anyone who sees a black bear in their yard should report it to the DEM Division of Law Enforcement by calling (401) 789-0281.

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