Mischievous Bear Plays Intense Game of Soccer in Backyard Video

A black bear playing soccer and climbing trees in a California neighborhood has viewers in stitches after cute footage was shared online.

The video, recorded by Teresa Potter, was captured outside a home in a residential neighborhood in Lake Tahoe, California on July 3.

Solo Soccer

Footage showed a rambunctious black bear kicking a soccer ball around a residential front yard with its nose before climbing up a tree.

Once out of the tree, the bear crossed the street into another person's yard to obtain the soccer ball and continue the solo game.

The bear excitedly kicked the ball around before jumping into and out of trees in another yard.

Furry Neighbors

The video serves as a reminder that black bears are also residents of Lake Tahoe as well as other heavily forested areas around the United States.

While bears are normally wary of humans, food-motivated bears can lose their fear of people and often search for food where people have disposed of it, including in trash cans left outside.

To avoid nuisance bears, experts recommend purchasing a bear-resistant trash can or moving bins inside. They also recommend thoroughly cleaning outdoor grills after use and keeping bird feeders away from the house.

Bear Safety

The National Park Services recommends that if you come in contact with a black bear to follow this advice:

• Remain calm
• Utilize rocks, tree branches, or bear spray
• Stand tall and stretch out arms and legs to appear larger
• Make as much noise as possible
• If necessary, fight back
• DO NOT play dead
• Direct punches and kicks to animal's face

"Remember that the bear is likely more scared of you than you are of him," they said. Keep in mind that these recommendations are for black bear attacks and not grizzly or brown bears.

According to the Forest Service, black bears are known for their excellent climbing skills which allow them to quickly scurry up trees.

Although there are an estimated 300,000 black bears living in the United States, attacks are "extremely rare" and generally occur when a foraging bear is frightened or a human is between a mother and her cubs, the Forest Service said.

Other Bear Encounters

In Canada, a terrified woman recorded the moment a black bear approached her at a bus stop. In Minnesota, a bear with a ginormous belly was seen roaming around the Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota.

In June, a family was ambushed by a 350-pound black bear while camping in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee.