Bear beats summer heat by taking a dip in backyard pool
Wednesday, August 19, 2015, 11:46 AM - With thick coats worthy of cold Canadian winters, ever wonder how bears beat the summer heat?
One British Columbia resident found out earlier this week when she caught an unexpected guest enjoying her backyard pool.
While glancing out the back door of her North Vancouver home, Denise Diering was shocked to see a large black bear standing at the edge of the family's in-ground pool.
She called to her husband Tony to quickly shut the door -- just as the bear slid into the water.
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The Dierings captured video of the furry swimmer enjoying a 15-minute dip in the pool amid hot, sunny weather on Monday.
And because no swim would be complete without a relaxing soak afterward, the animal hopped into an adjoining hot tub before going on its way.
Tony Diering believes the bear was a male, and noticed it bore wildlife identification tags, according to a report by the CBC.
While wildlife sightings are common throughout the North Vancouver area, the chances of encountering a bear up close are rare.
But the Dierings believe that the bear caught bathing in their pool has visited their property before.
About a month ago, they spotted a bear eating from their outdoor bird feeder. The beast entered their yard through a hole it made in the fence.
Though the Dierings have been able to observe the bear from the safety of the indoors, they feel sightings on more than one occasion are cause for concern.
"In the neighbourhood there are a lot of small kids and obviously it's a safety concern for our neighbours," Diering told the CBC. "I just hope the bear can get the message and basically go somewhere else."
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