A California couple awoke at 2 a.m. to the sound of their home security camera alerting them to an intruder: a black bear.
Nicole and Larry Collum of Arnold said their security camera's alarm was triggered at their Arnold home at 2 a.m. and they were shocked when they looked to see what had prompted the alert.
"There was a bear coming into the garage," Larry Collum told CBS Sacramento.
The couple said the bear was cautiously wandering in through the garage door, which had accidentally been left open overnight.
"It was huge," Nicole Collum said. "That bear was very big."
The couple said the bear was not easy to scare away.
"He definitely could have done some damage and he definitely wasn't afraid of me," Larry Collum said.
He theorized the bear likely had its sights set on the garbage can inside the garage.
"A bear that size could and would easily shred me to get to that trash can," he said.
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The couple said they will not be leaving doors of any type open at their home in the future.
Non-profited organization The BEAR League said the animals started to emerge from their winter dens in mid-March, and sightings are on the rise in mountain and foothill communities as the animals descend from high altitudes in search of food that isn't covered in snow.