Bear Tries to Devour Security Camera in Horrifying Footage

Astonishing footage has been caught of a bear attempting to devour a security camera outside a property in South Carolina.

Viewers are given an extreme close-up view inside the throat of a black bear, in an extraordinary video shared with Newsweek by security camera company Ring. The animal is seen approaching the outside of the building where the camera has been set up. The bear sniffs around it before making several attempts to eat the device in its entirety.

In trying to do so, the black bear ends up giving viewers a front-row view of the inside of its mouth. It's an intimidating sight, full of the kind of teeth that would likely make short work of most people. And yet the bear appears to be struggling to break down this particular electronic device.

The clip was filmed outside the property of a Ring customer in the city of Greer, who wishes to remain anonymous. It might be about as close as anyone is ever likely to get to that kind of encounter with a bear without suffering serious injury.

But while it is important to keep a safe distance from wild predators like black bears, the chances of actually being killed by one are slim. The North American Bear Center says that men aged from 18 to 24 are 167 times more likely to kill someone than a black bear. On average, North America's population of the animal, estimated to be in the region of 750,000, kills less than one person a year on average.

Though those figures are likely to be of little comfort to anyone encountering a black bear for the first time, the property owner who captured the footage has struck up something approaching an understanding with this furry neighbor.

Speaking to Ring, the homeowner said: "The bear comes every night. He has knocked this camera down three times and put it in his mouth. IT STILL WORKS!"

The resident has become so enamored with the bear that he has christened him "Bourbon", in what appears to be a reference to his distinctive fur color. "He comes every day between 5 and 6:30... rain or shine," the man said. "He usually stays about 15 minutes. He will walk around and sometimes take a nap. Overnight, he will come by several times a night."

Though he may have attempted to eat their camera, Bourbon's antics have proven to be a source of some entertainment and fascination for the property owner and his family. "Bourbon has become my friend. He makes life interesting," the man said. "My children love watching him on Live View."

This isn't the first time a black bear has garnered attention in North Carolina for unusual reasons. One similar-looking bear was photographed striking a bizarre pose on his two hind legs.

In another instance, a woman was shocked to discover a bear sleeping on her porch. Then there was the North Carolina resident who discovered a black bear den at the end of her garden.