Bear Family Takes Over Amherst, NH Neighborhood
AMHERST, NH (CBS) - It's not the leaves or the flowers that signal spring in Carolyn Swift's Amherst neighborhood, it's the bears
"It's the spring when they come out of hibernation," says Swift. "They're hungry."
And this weekend there they were, a mother and her two cubs not more than 50 feet from the house.
"They're getting more and more tame," says Swift. "They're not afraid of the people."
Carolyn's neighborhood became home to the family of bears a few years ago when her husband put corn out for turkeys.
Now the bears come back every year looking for food.
"They make the rounds, they know everybody that has a bird feeder," says Swift.
It got to the point where Carolyn opened her door and found those bold bears right on her front porch. Neighbors have even started sending out "bear alerts" so they'll know when mama and her cubs are coming for a visit.
One time, the Swift family found themselves trapped in the house for a weekend as the bears took over the lawn.
"Mama bear was just parked right in my lawn," she says. "And the two cubs were just playing around like children do, climbing trees."
So far, the bears haven't been aggressive. But the Swifts won't tempt them, preferring to watch from the windows.
"I kind of enjoy it because I get to see the bear's behavior so to speak, but then it's also a nuisance," she says.
And like most nuisance neighbors there's no getting rid of them. The bear family appears here to stay.
