Alerted by their dog, a Connecticut family was shocked to discover a huge black bear under the deck in their backyard. But instead of disturbing the bear, they let him stay. They named him “Marty,” and even set up his own social media page.
Vincent Dashukewich runs a laser engraving business with his father in Plainville, Connecticut. At the end of December, he was in the family’s backyard with his girlfriend, playing with his pit bull, Cali, when the dog began to growl.
As soon as Vincent’s girlfriend turned and looked underneath the deck, she found Marty.
Vincent told The Epoch Times that both his girlfriend and family were “shocked and worried” by the bear’s chosen hibernation spot. They immediately called the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for advice, but could not resist taking some unobtrusive camera footage of the resting bear between the wooden slats of the deck.
Tyler wasn’t scared since she has grown accustomed to seeing bears. However, she admits that if it moved she would certainly be scared.
According to her, the bear will be around for a period of three months. However, Tyler, who is also a mother to a four-year-old girl, was surprised as she had never heard of a bear hibernating underneath someone’s deck before.
Meanwhile, Marty has just been sleeping all the time and hasn’t done much.
“We’ve looked at each other a couple of times, that’s about it,” Vincent told The Epoch Times.
Vincent said, “I wanted to make an account just to document him, raise some money for him, eventually, and donate it to charity.”
Vincent has received comments from netizens that range from awe to fear to suggestions that his family befriends Marty and makes him their “pet.” However, he’s keen to remind people that black bears may look cuddly, but they command caution and respect like any wild creature.
