Terrifying Close Encounter With Bear Captured on Bird Feeder Camera

Unsettling security camera footage of a black bear getting a little too close for comfort to a property in Massachusetts has been shared online.

In a clip captured on a Ring Stick Up Camera positioned next to a bird feeder at a home in Feeding Mills in Agawam, a black bear can be seen furiously devouring the mix of seeds and other dried food from a tray.

Richard, the Massachusetts resident who filmed the incident, told Ring: "He ate all the suet balls, two suet cakes and all the seed from a Amish style farmhouse/bird feeder, and all the seed from a Wasserstein bird feeder...with a Ring Stick Up Camera inside."

Though it makes for fascinating viewing, there is something very frightening about having such a large predator within close proximity.

According to the conservation non-profit organization Mass Audubon, black bears are the only species of bear to roam Massachusetts. It is "the largest meat-eating mammal in New England" with some capable of weighing up to 500 pounds.

Mass Audubon notes that instances of black bears eating from bird feeders are particularly problematic. "Allowing bears to access food, garbage, or bird feeders is dangerous to people and to the bears," they said. "Once habituated to finding food near homes or campgrounds, bears can become a threat—and, sadly, must often be destroyed."

Richard, the resident sharing the clip, is no stranger to encounters with bears, however. "This is the first time that I have captured bears on video with a Ring camera," he said. "I have captured bears on other video, cameras, and trail cameras in the past."

He attributes these encounters to the position of his house."My house backs up to woods and a brook, and those woods back up to a large state park," Richard said.

He said he set the camera up "for the purpose of capturing videos and photos of various birds," but ended up capturing the bear enjoying a feast to remember. "The bear was eating black oil, sunflower seeds, and other bird food out of a small bird feeder," he said.

Despite his previous encounters with bears, the footage came as a bit of a shock. "I was somewhat surprised to see a bear in my videos as the camera is there to capture photos, and videos of birds," Richard said.

This video comes hot on the heels of another clip showcasing a similar encounter between a black bear and a bird feeder outside a property in Western Massachusetts.

In another instance filmed in Massachusetts, a black bear was captured on camera approaching a man who was taking a nap by a pool. Meanwhile, in New Hampshire last month, a bear was filmed lurking on a homeowner's porch.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.