A woman was stunned to discover a huge black bear having taken up hibernation under her decking in the back garden of her house.
Tyler Dashukewich, 28, realised the animal had gone to sleep on her property in Plainville, Connecticut, US, when her family dogs appeared nervous while playing in her garden.
She initially thought the dogs had spotted a smaller animal, like a squirrel, and couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the huge animal.
She said: "[The dogs] were being skittish and looking toward the deck. I thought that maybe it was a bunny, or a squirrel or something like that."
Tyler's brother, Vinnie, then peeked under the deck to spot the sleeping intruder with surprise.
Tyler said: "I was shocked. I thought it would be a little bear, but it was really big."
The family contacted Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in the hope that they would be able to help.
They recommended pouring hot water on the massive bear or making loud noises to scare it off.
However, Tyler, who lives with her four-year-old daughter Everly, disregarded the agency's advice and decided to not bother the creature.
She added: "They recommended pouring hot water on it or using air horns to scare it away, but we didn't want to bother it so we let it stay there.
"I see them so much so I wasn't really scared. If it had moved I would have been scared for sure.
"It'll be there around three months, I haven't heard of a bear hibernating underneath someone's deck before."
Tyler, although used to having bears in the vicinity, still expressed concern about the creature's presence, as she has a young daughter.
She said: "The good thing is that it's pretty cold, so we don't really play outside, but I don't let her get close to it, so we play in the front yard."
However, they will usually wake up if disturbed during their winter dormancy.
Although bears commonly den under fallen trees or in brush piles, they may also find suitable denning conditions around human dwellings, including under decks, porches, and sheds.
Bear sightings are becoming more common as the population of animals is increasing.
According to the state's Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, over 10,000 bear sightings were reported in the state in 2022.
