A large black bear strolled along a beach in South Lake Tahoe, California, as beachgoers looked on in shock.
The massive animal was ready to cool off as it roamed the banks next to the Boathouse on the dock, with only kayaks, paddleboards, jet skis and pedal boats separating it from onlookers on Aug. 31.
A few metres away on the beach, a frenzied crowd gathered, shouting for people to move away. Others seemed content to watch the bear or pull out their phones.
Stunned spectators were also on the promenade or on the restaurant balcony.
The dogs on the boardwalk seemed more disturbed as they barked as the bear approached until it disappeared under the pier.
A large black bear strolled onto a beach in South Lake Tahoe, California, on Aug. 31 as beachgoers looked on in shock.
Beachgoers did not seem bothered by the bear’s presence and gathered a few feet away, either on the beach, the pier or the balcony of the Boathouse on the Pier restaurant.
In another video captured by Lisa Enos Martin and posted to the Facebook group ‘I Love Lake Tahoe,’ it appears the bear was able to swim out of the water after surprising onlookers.
In the comments section of the video, which had more than 2,000 views, users expressed mixed opinions. One person wrote: “Love it! Keep Tahoe bearable.”
Another added: “It’s an amazing place, but very sad. I’ve lived in Tahoe for 40 years and I feel so bad for the bears. They have nowhere to go and are dependent on human waste. They are turning into a bunch of rats. It’s very sad.”
And a third said: “Their space, their habitat is being invaded.”
Lisa Enos Martin posted a video on the Facebook group ‘I Love Lake Tahoe’ showing the bear swimming.
There are between 25,000 and 35,000 black bears in California.
But in the Lake Tahoe area, the ability of black bears to adapt to “human-modified environments” is becoming a bigger concern than habitat loss, California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a report published in April.
The swimming bear video comes just three months after a California man was stunned when a 300-pound bear entered his kitchen while he was washing dishes.
Jason Wightman of Sierra Madre said the animal entered his home through an open gate at 5:30 p.m. on June 4.
He shared the five-minute video on Facebook, where it garnered more than 2,000 views.
In the video, the bear cautiously peers at Wightman from the door frame before approaching. It grabbed a spray bottle filled with water before turning and running away.
Eventually the bear and another bear outside climbed over the fence and walked away.
