A bear breaks into a cabin in Manitoba

Over the past 14 years, Cheryl Juras and her family have seen their share of bears near their Falcon Lake cabin, but she never expected to see one in her own kitchen.

“I just didn’t think they would come into the house… you know, I’m just shocked,” Juras told CTV News.

Juras and her husband woke up around 6:30 a.m. Monday in their lakeside home to the sound of someone — or something — in the kitchen. At first, she thought it was one of her sons and his friend, who were sleeping in the guest house and getting ready to go to work.

“And then we heard a noise or a crash – like someone had fallen or something,” Juras said. She asked her husband to go check, just in case.

“And I even said, ‘Maybe it’s a bear,’ just as a joke.”

Her husband climbed the stairs and found a black bear eating dog food from a ceramic slow cooker on the kitchen floor. The family later learned that the bear had entered through a window screen. They also discovered that the unwanted visitor had opened their refrigerator and helped themselves to sandwiches.

“He also opened a cupboard where the food was and left us a really big one, you know what, on the floor.”

Juras said her husband quietly returned to the bedroom and the couple, along with their other son, escaped from the house through a window. Shortly after, RCMP and a conservation officer arrived at the home, but the bear escaped through another window before it could be caught.

She said her family takes safety precautions when it comes to the presence of wildlife around the property. She said they never leave food outside, keep the yard clean and store trash properly. She added that they usually close all their windows at night, but admits she forgot to do that before bed on Sunday.

“A lot of people leave them open to get some fresh air,” Juras said. “But apparently (bears) can sniff or smell – from I don’t even know how far away… but they sniffed (the covered dog food) through a screened window, you know, in a house. It’s really unbelievable.

Juras said the incident is a good reminder to keep in mind that humans and wildlife don’t live very far from each other, and said it’s important to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of all.

“I don’t want any animals to get hurt, but on the other hand, I don’t want anyone to get hurt either.”

She said she was grateful no one was hurt during the ordeal and that it wouldn’t change her opinion of life at the cabin.

“It’s beautiful here and the bears are part of that beauty.”