Watch Big Bear Squeeze Out of Small Vent in North Carolina Home

Amazing video footage taken at a home in Asheville, North Carolina, shows a large black bear squeezing out of a small air vent.

According to news.yahoo.com, the video was taken in 2021, but was recently posted by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) on Facebook.

The commission posted the video as a reminder to residents to be bear aware this time of year as they come out of hibernation.

"What may initially appear to be just a pile of brush, a crawl space or a hollowed-out tree, may actually be the winter home of a bear, and possibly its cubs," the post said. "If disturbed by humans, a bear may be inadvertently flushed from the den, and if it's a female bear with cubs, she may orphan her cubs if humans do not leave the area immediately."

The NCWRC recommends if you encounter a bear den, to leave the area quickly and quietly, and do not disturb the den for the rest of the winter season.

Black bears typically find places to shelter from November through April as cubs are born and cold weather lingers. Dens can exist in both wild or developed areas.

“We have experienced an uptick in bears denning under houses and decks over the last 10 years, as well as unleashed dogs disturbing bears in dens,” said Colleen Olfenbuttel, NCWRC s bear expert. “Homeowners can safely coexist with the bears until they leave the den in the spring. This is because a denning bear is only interested in getting their winter rest or, if it s a female, caring for her cubs. Denning bears are not interested in engaging with people as long as people leave bear dens alone. Disturbances by humans or their pets may cause the bear to leave permanently and orphan her cubs.”