Watch this black bear film itself walking away with a stolen camera
A black bear trying to steal snacks from a bird feeder in Maine ended up filming itself on camera.
Video shows the moment the bear went up to a bird feeder at a home in New Gloucester and tried to take sunflower seeds. After trying several times, the bear knocked down the post the feeder was on and tore off its attached camera.
When the bear still couldn't manage to dine, it grabbed the camera and walked away while it was still recording.
Jeff Meissner, the camera's owner, said he has a plan if the bear returns.
"I've got the alarms turned on now. I've got a motion-sensing sprinkler set up there, so he's going to get a shower, some loud noise and more pictures," he told ABC affiliate WMTW. "So it's a challenge and I love a challenge and I'll beat the bear."
Black bears are the smallest species of bear in North America and are the only bear in the eastern U.S. According to the Maine Department of Inland Fishers and Wildlife, the species are found across the entire state, but most often in the northern and eastern regions.
The primarily vegetarian creatures are "opportunists," the department says, and are known to "adapt rapidly to new food sources, including agricultural crops and food placed to attract other wildlife, such as bird feeders and untended garbage."
The department recommends that from April 1 to Nov. 1, when black bears are most active, people take their bird feeders down and store seed and feeders indoors. It is also recommended that garbage cans, grills, pets and livestock be kept inside or stored until winter.