A huge bear has emerged from a tiny building vent after waking from its winter doze.
The clip shows the weary animal squeezing through the small opening where it had apparently made its hibernation home.
The stocky bear eventually wriggles through the vent before ambling off.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), based in Raleigh, North Carolina, US, filmed it.
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A spokesperson for the organisation said: “What may initially appear to be just a pile of brush, a crawl space or a hollowed-out tree, may actually be the winter home of a bear, and possibly its cubs.
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“If disturbed by humans, a bear may be inadvertently flushed from the den, and if it’s a female bear with cubs, she may orphan her cubs if humans do not leave the area immediately.
“Biologists at NCWRC recommend, if someone encounters a bear den, to remain calm, leave the area quickly and quietly, and do not disturb the den for the rest of the winter season.”
One local quipped: “I could bearly contain my excitement reading this article.”
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Rod commented: “Yikes, I would have never thought he would make it out.”
Ricky joked: “We used to have one that would steal our picnic baskets, but he and his little friend got relocated.”
Valerie wrote: “I never would have believed that bear was in that hole if I hadn’t seen it come out with my own eyes.”
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The wildlife authority states on its website: “Black bears are very resourceful in finding places to shelter from November through April as cubs are born and cold weather lingers.
“Dens come in many types and sizes and exist in both wooded and developed areas.
“But in almost all cases, the best option is to simply stay away from the den area.”
