WHEN
A BEAR LURKS

Topics: Danger; Family; Fear; Habits; Sin; Temptation; Thoughts

References: Matthew 5:29–30; 26:41; 1 Timothy 6:9; 1 Peter 5:8

One Sunday afternoon in December of 2005, Pedro Sainvil’s children, who had been outside playing in the snow, came rushing into the house screaming, “Dad, there’s a bear under the house!”

Sainvil discovered that day that a seven-hundred-pound black bear was hibernating under his porch. The discovery was not a total shock, since neighborhood trash cans had been tampered with for several weeks. However, it was obviously a concern for Sainvil and his family.

Local authorities determined to remove the bear, especially since there was a school bus stop across the street from the house. State Game Commission spokesman Jerry Feaser said that situations like this are fairly common in the Northeast but can be prevented by blocking access to crawl spaces and other areas that would be tempting to large animals during denning season. The space under Sainvil’s porch was uncovered.

“It’s very scary,” said Sainvil’s mother, who lives with the family. “I’m just praying that he’ll take off. It’s like a bomb under the house.”

—Dan Berrett, “An Unbearable Guest,” poconorecord.com (December 6, 2005)