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With summer rapidly approaching, everyone is trying to find ways to stay cool—including this Florida bear who has made a habit of visiting one woman's backyard pool.
According to The Miami Herald, Karen Bockrath frequently hosts a local bear who enjoys taking dips in her Naples, Florida pool. Because the bear stops by so often, she's begun taking pictures of the ferocious creature and sharing them on social media.
The saga began when Bockrath first discovered a giant hole in her porch screen. Soon, she learned its cause when she found the massive bear, which appears to be a Florida black bear, lounging in her pool. The bear has stopped by for so many visits since that she jokingly refers to it as her 'pet.'
Fortunately, the bear hasn't damaged anything besides the screen. "At least he's kind enough to use the same door he made in my screen for each visit," said Bockrath.
While the scene may sound cute, she adds that having a wild bear so close to where she lives can be anxiety-inducing. "Now that he's coming into the pool, it does kind of make me a little nervous at times," she told WFLA.
But for the most part, the visitor seems harmless. "It was only scary when he came up to my sliders and was checking out my living room," she said. "I really hope he doesn't think my new couch looks comfy."
Bockrath reportedly sends the pictures of the 'pet' bear to her family, including her 6-year-old grandson who brings the photos to school to share with friends. She also posts them on Facebook, where the pictures are met with dozens of comments.
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"Guess I'm having a pool party! Who knew!" posted Bockrath, alongside a photo of the bear neck-deep in the water.
"You better tell him that'll be a fee of 50 bucks every time he goes skinny dipping in the daytime," joked one commenter.
In terms of whether or not Bockrath will continue to let the bear enjoy her pool, she has made one thing clear: she's not planning on calling the authorities. "I'm really afraid they would euthanize him," she told UPI. "The mom is still around."
"I live in an area that hasn't been completely built up, lots of wooded area, lots of bears among other wild animals," she added. "My kids say I live in a zoo."
Strangely, this is far from the only example of a bear making itself at home in a human house. Earlier this month, a woman recognized a bear that had tried to break into her home to steal some baking brownies when it returned years later with two cubs in tow.
