LINCOLN, R.I. (WHDH) — A black bear was spotted in a Rhode Island man’s backyard Saturday.
Matt Houghton went to check on the reason his dog, Copper, wouldn’t stop barking.
“When I grabbed him, I looked up and there was a black bear standing 15 feet in front of me. It was pretty crazy,” said Houghton.
He was able to snap a photo of the bear before it ran off into the woods.
“I was just more surprised than anything. He just stood there looking at me. We made eye contact for 20-30 seconds. Maybe I said, ‘what are you doing in Rhode Island?’ and the next thing, he took off,” said Houghton.
But before the bear took off, Houghton said it toppled his garbage can and snatched a 50 pound bag of birdseed which had been in the garbage can.
“I just interrupted his breakfast so I didn’t think he was too happy, but he didn’t seem scared, he didn’t seem nervous or anything,” said Houghton.
There have been several recent bear sighting in Rhode Island. DEM officials said they don’t know whether it was the same bear seen in several backyards.