Fearless Cat Caught on Camera Scaring Giant Bear Away From Owner's Home

Dramatic footage has emerged of the moment a cat was able to ward off a giant bear that was lurking outside her owner's home.

In a video shared with Newsweek by security camera company Ring, a three-year-old feline by the name of AR can be seen hissing at a large black bear outside her owner's home in Bushkill, Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Commission estimates the state is home to as many as 20,000 black bears, and they can pose a potential threat to pet owners living in close proximity to them, if the necessary precautions aren't taken. In 2020, for example, a dog was killed by a black bear while out on a walk with his owner.

According to BearWise, an information resource set up to help people live alongside bears, dogs have proven to be the catalyst in many bear attacks.

Between 2010 and 2015, dogs were involved in over half of all reported incidents involving people and black bears. In these instances, 46 percent of dogs involved ended up injured or killed, while 62 percent of humans were also hurt.

There's no data available on how many incidents of these kinds have involved cats, but judging by this clip, Pennsylvania resident Kira need not worry about her four-legged friend being able to handle herself.

The stunning footage was captured on a doorbell camera in July. In the video, AR can be seen standing on the porch outside her property, hissing at a large bear in close proximity.

Kira told Ring that AR is an "outdoor cat" and has likely come across bears before.

"We live in the woods, so bears are pretty much a weekly visitor," she said. Even so, she was shocked to watch back the footage of her cat standing up to the bear, who seems to cower in response to her repeated hisses.

Kira said the clip had her "hysterical laughing" and she was happy to report that AR was fine following the brief encounter with their unwelcome visitor.

It isn't clear what drew the bear to the property, but the Pennsylvania Gaming Commission advises homeowners in bear country regions to take a range of precautions.

"Black bears will eat human food, garbage, bird feed, pet foods, fruits from trees or gardens, and livestock feed...Once bears find easily accessible food sources, whether on a farm or in a housing development, they will keep coming back as long as food is available," it said.

"If you have pets, bring their food pans inside at night."

AR clearly did her owner a massive favor. Last year, a black bear broke into a home in Pennsylvania and managed to open the refrigerator, snacking on the contents.

In another terrifying incident, a Pennsylvania man was confronted by a bear as he left the family home.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.