Lyonel Doherty
Times-Chronicle
A bear with a sweet tooth pillaged a Deer Park couple’s fridge overnight, leaving the man of the house groaning that it ate the “best cake ever.”
Don and Sylvia Smithyman from Deer Park Estates got the shock of their lives when a neighbour called them at 4 a.m. to report that a huge bear was on their deck.
“A big brown bear with terrible table manners helped itself to our food that we have in case of a lockdown,” said Don. “The worst part was it ate all my first wife’s Christmas cake that was flavoured with rum; it was the best cake ever,” he groaned.
Don said the neighbour reported the bear stood taller than the full-size fridge on their covered deck.
“They said, ‘don’t go out on your deck, there’s a bear.’”
Don said the bruin ripped open the fridge and freezer and went to work on the food stash that they were saving in case of a COVID-19 lockdown.
“Even when I banged (on the window) and shouted at the bear, it didn’t phase it,” Don said.
He then got the courage to open his inner door, which finally got the bear’s attention. It then simply sauntered off, having its fill of the cake and some hot cross buns.
“It even ate the silver paper on the cake,” Don said. But it didn’t touch the frozen chicken, he pointed out.
The man said he didn’t bother calling a conservation officer due to a bad experience he had before. He said a nuisance bear was captured in a cage and reportedly ended up being shot by an officer.
“I never got over that.”
Residents are being reminded that this is the season that bears come out of their winter hibernation looking for food. People are encouraged not to leave food outdoors and to ensure their garbage is properly secured, preferably in bear-proof containers.
What a mess!
(Photo by Don Smithyman)
