Vermont Man Hears Strange Sounds in Backyard—Then Spots Black Bear Relaxing in a Hammock

A black bear in Vermont relaxes in a hammock in a couple's backyard. Noah Dweck via AP

Noah and Kristen Dweck have seen a number of black bears around their home in Vermont, but this was a first: a bear relaxing in their hammock.

Mr. Dweck video-recorded two young bears in their yard in Waitsfield on June 11, with one sitting in the swinging hammock before he shooed them away.

“It was adorable. It was a funny sight,” he told The Associated Press.

Mr. Dweck said he was sitting at a desk with the screen doors open in their home near the Sugarbush ski resort when he heard the jingling of the hammock. He then realized there was no wind.

A black bear swinging in a hammock in the Dwecks' backyard. Noah Dweck via AP

“So immediately, I knew it was the bears,” he said.

He ran upstairs and looked out the window and saw one bear looking curiously at the other, who was hanging around on the hammock, he said. He took some video and then scared the bears away. Burlington TV station WPTZ first reported on the sighting.

“We live in a very active bear basin. The bears are very used to human contact, so I’m assuming they have found other people’s hammocks before,” Mr. Dweck said. “To be honest, it was pretty impressive that he didn’t fall off, or she didn’t fall off the hammock, and kind of knew how to do it. It was quite funny to see.”

Vermont has a healthy black bear population and both sightings and incidents with the animals have increased in recent years.

You can watch the video here.

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