A mother black bear joined a family barbecue in Santiago, Nuevo León, helping herself to meat right off the grill as family members looked on in surprise.

The family, who were vacationing in a cabin in the woods at the Pueblo Mágico, watched as the bear climbed onto the brick grill and made several attempts to remove the meat without burning its paws.

It also spilled a pot of previously grilled meat in the process as a bear cub stood by and waited for its dinner. 

The incident was captured on video and while some of the observers laughed and shouted at the animal to go away, one simply watched with his mouth agape as his dinner was taken.

Bear sightings in the state have been more frequent since the coronavirus pandemic began, and black bears have been seen roaming the streets of Monterrey, San Pedro and even Sabinas, Hidalgo, where a black bear was captured on August 20 walking in the middle of a street in the Hacienda Larraldeña neighborhood.

Two days earlier, a larger bear was captured in San Pedro in the Joya del la Corona area of Chipinque. 

In Monterrey, a small black bear ambled into an office last month and employees filmed its visit. The bear stood up on its hind legs and sniffed a man who remained motionless at his desk as another employee asked the bear calmly to open the door and leave, which the bear eventually did. 

In late July, a bear was photographed with a yellow bag in its mouth emblazoned with the logo of the Pollo Loco roasted chicken chain.

The photo was taken in San Pedro Garza García municipality located near the Chipinque ecological park where another people-curious bear was captured, castrated and released in a less populated area of the Chihuahua mountains. It had engaged in several close encounters, including one where the bear stood on its hind legs to sniff a woman’s hair as she snapped a selfie, violating park recommendations for proper bear behavior. 

In the United States, bears that lose their fear of people are often euthanized, but Mexican black bears are an endangered species and thus protected by law.

During an encounter with a bear, park rangers recommend keeping a safe distance from the animal and walking slowly away without running. 

Source: Excélsior (sp)