Bear Family Regularly Visits North Carolina Man Just To Greet Him

Oct 26, 2020

In years prior, having a visitor come to your home was cause for the occasion. Everyone was on their best behavior, snacks were served, and fellowship ensued. Visiting with friends who stopped by randomly was an exciting time.

Yet, North Carolina native Patrick Conley was shocked by the visitors who stopped by his home on a random day in the summer of 2017. 

In general, bears are afraid of humans. Therefore, the number of human and bear encounters annually is very low. However, when bears visit areas near cities often, in hopes of finding food, they can become accustomed to their new neighbors, according to ABC News. Some might even say these bears are a bit too friendly, despite their terrifying demeanor.

This is exactly what happened to Patrick Conley, a North Carolina resident. In fact, bear encounters have become so common in Conley's area that he has a YouTube channel dedicated solely to wandering bears that come through his neighborhood.

What once seemed like a fluke incident evolved into a routine occurrence. According to his channel's about page, Patrick's family first noticed the abrupt influx of bears into his housing area in the summer of 2017, and it hasn't stopped since.

While the reason for Conley's home being deemed a popular destination for bear visits is unknown, we are certainly glad he can catch these videos for all of us to see. One might assume these furry critters enjoy the access to trash and other remnants that the family disposes of, making a good meal for hungry bears.

As the visits continued, Conley learned a little more about these visitors who seemed to prefer his home as a popular destination. Noted as "Beaverdam" bears, these bears are fairly common to the area and often come through by Conley's home when foraging for fruits and berries.

While we don't know how extensively Conley has attempted to persuade these bears to move further from his home, we do know that he has familiarized himself with them enough to give them names. A momma bear and her cubs are some of Conley's most avid visitors. Mother Maïté is often accompanied by cubs, Solange, Maurice, and Simone.

In one of Patrick's most frequently viewed videos, you can see this mom and her cubs make their way up onto his porch out of curiosity. Describing them by name in his YouTube video, Conley doesn't seem shocked at this occurrence. While any normal YouTuber might be shocked at this visit, Conley seemed unfazed and continues to film these majestic creatures.

With over 1.7 million views since its upload date in December 2017, it is safe to say that many viewers are fascinated by this family's frequent visitors and the ease of which they move about Conley's porch. In the video, you can see just how close Conley is to these bears, as he reaches his hand out toward one.

While we don't endorse getting as close to wildlife as Conley did, it is apparent that he is comfortable with his choice. Viewers can't get enough of the relationship that this homeowner has with this family of bears.

Do you have an unusually friendly relationship with a wild animal? Let us know in the comments, and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!