Fearless House Cat Gives Yard Visitor A Bear-Y Bad Day
Many wild animals know not to mess with lions and tigers, but what about house cats? Well, one bear certainly didn't get the memo. After a brief but scary encounter with one fearless feline, though, this bear may think twice about sneaking into backyards. Luckily, the entire debacle's been caught on camera in a captivating TikTok, because this is something you have to see to believe.
@mydogslifebuddy Black bear sneaks into back yard gets rekked by cat
The first thing you'll see in this 16-second video is an American black bear in a Canadian backyard equipped with a small garden, trampoline, and toddler-sized slide. If this looks like an odd sight to you, you likely agree with the fierce cat that appears shortly after. Now, here's a protective cat that will defend its family at all costs.
This cat jumps into the frame in high-speed chase mode, and we know it means business. The giant black bear immediately runs like its life depends on it, all the way around the yard and over the fence. Apparently, this cat isn't an outlier, as one viewer shared that they "also had a cat that would chase black bears" in Alaska. But others couldn't relate at all. "My cat gets scared when the doorbell rings," said one commenter.
Are black bears scaredy cats?
Who knows what would have happened if that fearless feline had caught the black bear? One thing's for sure: that's one black bear who definitely didn't want to find out. So, are black bears typically that fearful? What should you do if you encounter one?
It turns out that the black bears we know today are actually quite timid. Founder of the North American Bear Center, Dr. Lynn Rogers, shared that since bears evolved around tougher predators like saber-toothed cats and lions, they've developed a fearful attitude and inclination to "run first and ask questions later." Still, it's important to be cautious and not "poke the bear," so to speak, if you do come across a bear.
Instead, you should stay calm (and quiet), don't run, and make yourself appear as large as possible. Though bear attacks are generally rare, grizzly bears are up to 20 times more dangerous than black bears and are more likely to charge or attack (per The Alaska Frontier). So, it's important to know how to spot the differences. All grizzly bears have small, rounded ears (instead of longer, pointed ones) and a signature shoulder hump that black bears don't have. Hopefully, you never have to encounter either and can simply meet a dog that looks like a bear instead.