By Lyonel Doherty

Tumbleweed park homeowner Yvonne Dundas opens her fridge where a black bear raided it on Tuesday morning. (Photo by Lyonel Doherty)

Imagine walking into your kitchen at 3:30 am and seeing the rump of a black bear sticking out of your fridge.

Well, Yvonne Dundas didn’t have to imagine this, and it was no dream when the bruin broke into her mobile home earlier this week in Tumbleweed park.

“I didn’t have time to be afraid. He was out of the house in three seconds flat (after I startled him).”

Dundas was in a deep sleep when her dog Julie started barking and she heard a ruckus coming from the kitchen. She thought it must be a mischievous raccoon on an evening raid because she heard a crash.

Dundas began walking down the hallway and noticed the light from the fridge was on. What the heck? When she rounded the corner she saw the dark furry rump of a black bear. Oh my . . .

The bruin was so scared it didn’t even turn around to see what had startled him; he just took off through the screen in her front door.

Dundas admitted she left the main door open on Tuesday night because it was so hot out.

“It was my own fault. I never dreamed a bear would come in the house.”

Dundas said the bear must have smelled the dog and cat food in the kitchen, so it broke through the screen and helped himself to the food. He then put his two front paws on the kitchen table and tried to reach for a bowl of mixed nuts, but couldn’t.

His next conquest was the fridge, which he easily opened, providing an instant smorgasbord.

Dundas said she considered herself fortunate that the young bear didn’t turn on her that morning, but all it wanted to do was escape the house after she confronted him.

It wasn’t the first time the bear made himself at home, she pointed out. For example, the bear apparently took a carton of milk out of her fridge recently; she found it at the top of her rock garden. A container of Parmesan cheese was also discovered outside.

“I think it was his third time in the house,” Dundas said, noting the bruin has never made a mess during his nocturnal visits.

No, you don’t need to remind her to keep her door closed from now on.

Dundas said this bear has been a problem in the park for a while; it started raiding people’s garbage cans a month ago. So homeowners agreed not to leave garbage outside anymore. But the bruin keeps coming back.

Dundas said a conservation officer told her there is a significant increase in bear encounters in the region, partly because there is no predation of young bears.

In addition to erecting a warning sign at the Tumbleweed park entrance, the conservation officer established a bear trap on Dundas’ property. It’s a big barrel with food bait and scent in it. Once the bear starts eating the food, a door shuts and locks him inside.

“Everyone is waiting for him to get trapped, and they’re keeping their doors closed . . . lesson learned,” Dundas said.