A casual stroll through a Florida backyard quickly turned into a chaotic, flowerpot-crashing scene for a family of black bears recently.
Caught on home surveillance video, the incident takes place at nighttime in a fenced-in backyard in the suburban beach town of Mary Esther, Florida. The patio is tastefully adorned with potted plants and flowering shrubs. The four black bears—a mama bear and three small cubs—meander around the patio, garden, and a grassy area checking things out and probably looking for food. Although the bears are clearly trespassing, it is an otherwise peaceful situation.
Suddenly, the loud squall of an airhorn cuts through the air, from a homeowner concerned about the bears in the yard.
But, simultaneously, another grown black bear comes charging into the scene.
The cubs run in different directions as the mama bear jumps into action, immediately responding to the threat with claws and teeth. The two grown bears tangle with each other, coming up on two legs, thrashing the lawn decorations and crashing through flowerpots.
The match ends with what seems like a win for the mama bear, as she eventually chases the opponent out of the yard. The airhorn that was heard repeatedly in the video was an attempt by the homeowner to shoo the bears away from his property. The homeowner referred to the brawl as a "UFC match," Storyful reported.
"I spent 20 years in the army and saw some pretty crazy things, but I never saw anything like that," he said. "Everyone I showed that video to have all said the same thing: 'Wow, never seen that before.'"
Bears fight for many reasons, such as over food or territory, or to establish dominance—or, as might be the case here, to defend their young, according to Bear Smart. Bears react to threats by evaluating their potential danger.
Mama bear most certainly interpreted the charging bear as a threat to her little ones—and protected them accordingly.
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