Florida Black Bear chases Apopka family into their home in viral video | Orlando Area News | Orlando

A viral video showed the terrifying moment that a black bear chased an Apopka family and their dog into their house.

Rachel Smith shared the Ring-captured video of her fleeing the bear to Facebook. In the clip, Smith and her husband can be seen running into their house while calling for their dog, who runs in shortly after. A black bear appears in the clip and charges up to the home’s bushes before turning back.

“We had a scary experience with a bear tonight,” Rachel Smith wrote. “My dog was going potty outside and a bear was next door and charged us and chased us all the way to our front door! This was at 9:30 this evening.”

The Smiths told the Orlando Sentinel that bears are a common sight in their neighborhood near Wekiwa Springs. However, this was the first time that a bear had acted aggressively toward them.

Black bears are far from a rarity in Central Florida and they’ve been found roaming in more and more urban areas as homes sprawl out into the animals former habitat. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission encourages all Floridians to be smart about black bears. They discourage feeding the wild animals, noting that a “fed bear is a dead bear.” They ask homeowners to secure their garbage to avoid enticing bears and walk dogs on a short leash. Bear sightings in neighborhoods should be reported to local FWC offices.

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