Bear In The Trash

I woke up this morning, like I do most mornings, and headed down the stairs from the loft to the kitchen. I commonly grab a banana and look out through the great view from the wall of windows that comprises the front of the house we are in. As I am enjoying my morning banana, I look out towards the road and see that something is amiss.

There is a large wooden structure (about 5 foot wide x 4 foot tall x 3 foot deep) at the edge of the property that contains trash cans in it. The structure has a lid on it as well. It is used to keep the trash cans in place so they do not tip over or blow over. And, the structure is designed to keep critters out of the trash. It had been turned over and twisted 90 degrees. From the deck of the house, when I saw it, I thought that a big wind, a raccoon or maybe some rowdy kids had turned it over. So, I went to investigate.

The area around it is gravel and pavement. So, I could not see any tracks. When I reached down to stand it back upright, it was quite difficult to do. No raccoon could do this. Maybe a village of them. But no single raccoon has the strength to turn this over. And, from how the food was pulled from the trash bags, I ruled out rowdy kids. Finally, we have a recycling container next to the wooden structure. If it was wind, then this would have definitely blown over.

While Trevor and I were cleaning up the mess, a neighbor passed by walking her dog and she said, “Looks like you had a visit from a bear.” I had briefly thought this but did not give it serious consideration. With her words it became real. I had a bear in the trash! I asked her if a bear had ever done this to her. She told me that she was walking through her house, looked out the window and saw a black bear standing upright trying to get to her humming-bird feeder. And, sure enough, the bear grabbed it and drank all of the liquid from it.

She also told me that a short distance away was a metal dumpster and that is where she takes her trash. So, that is where we will likely do the same. Mostly because I do not want to have to pick up trash again. Bears do not pick up after themselves!

As Nomads, we seek new adventures and experiences. I can tell you that this is one I had never experienced in my life, traveling or otherwise. So, if you are in bear country, be aware that you may have a midnight raider into your trash cans. Safe Travels.