Bear Swipes at Dogs in Asheville Neighborhood

An adult bear and cub, used to a generally peaceful neighborhood in Asheville, North Carolina, were bothered by hubbub on July 22, when their food foraging turned into a confrontation with local dogs. David Oppenheimer – who regularly https://newswire.storyful.com/?search_term=David%2520Oppenheimer encounters black bears at his Asheville home – told Storyful that he had been delighted earlier that day when his security camera recorded the 'adorable pair' casually strolling down his driveway and testing his bear-proof trash can. Oppenheimer walked up the street after the bears exited his property, in the hope that he would catch a glimpse of them heading away, but what he caught instead was the tense encounter between the bears and two dogs. He filmed the mother bear standing between the barking dogs and the cub, as the cub fed on a berry bush, according to Oppenheimer. The adult bear can be seen eventually lunging toward the dogs, who back off. Oppenheimer told Storyful that there had been a lot of commotion in the neighborhood that day, with city workers tending to a water main break, a loud lawn mower in operation, and the dogs carrying on, and that the bears had 'little respite' in their neighborhood stroll. Oppenheimer said that the dogs were trying to protect their house while the adult was trying to protect the cub. 'She demonstrated great restraint,' he said about the lunge. 'Clearly, the mom bear had the ability to inflict harm but instead chose to corral the dogs from a safe distance, presumably also wishing they would cease their incessant barking.' (Footage by David Oppenheimer/Storyful via Getty Images)