Elizabeth Lewis never expected black bears to become such a familiar sight after moving to a small beach town in Florida.But one morning, she spotted a mama bear walking through the neighborhood with her two young cubs — and quickly realized the family seemed to have a very specific routine.Lewis captured the encounter on video as the mother carefully looked around while her cubs stayed close behind.”Oh, aren’t they cute?” Lewis said as she watched them.The mama bear appeared to be searching for something to eat for her cubs. She paused to make sure the coast was clear before heading toward a trash can.Then, she got to work.The bear grabbed the container and began moving it, eventually taking it toward her waiting cubs.”They’re pretty strong. Look,” Lewis said as she watched the mother bear handle the trash can.The reason for the visit soon became clear: it was trash day.”It is trash day and they know it,” Lewis explained.According to Lewis, the bears in the area have learned that trash day can mean an easy opportunity to find food. Residents have even had to change how they put their garbage out because the animals will get into the containers.”We have to walk up our trash here because they get into them,” she said.Lewis said she was surprised by how often she encountered black bears after moving to the Florida beach community. While the sightings can be exciting, she also acknowledged that the bears’ reliance on human garbage is a less welcome part of the encounters.”It’s pretty unfortunate that they rely on our trash for food now,” she said.Still, Lewis said the animals generally aren’t looking for trouble with people.”Mostly if you leave the bears alone, they’ll leave you alone,” she explained.On this morning, Lewis simply watched from a distance as the mama bear did what she appeared to have done before: check the neighborhood, find the food, and bring something back to her two cubs.
