Some have called Minnesota 'Bear Country' and now is the time when bear conflicts begin to occur. Of course, if you're out camping, you prepare for that possibility and take the necessary steps to avoid it from happening.

However, as most Minnesotans know, bears just don't stay in the woods, they'll roam where they think they can find food, which can be in the garbage cans of residential areas.

Recently, a scary bear encounter unfolded outside Bailey Jacobson's home in Maple Grove, Minnesota, which was captured on her security camera.

Bear vs. Dog And Then Bear vs. Bailey

Before the scary encounter occurred, there had been warning signs that had been missed. According to a report by WCCO, Bailey had noticed a bird feeder had gone missing earlier in the day, which she thought was odd but didn't think more about it.

Then, just before the encounter, her security camera an alert triggered by 3 bears walking in her driveway and curiously approaching the area where her garbage cans were sitting.

Unfortunately, she didn't check her phone before heading outside with her dog Zeus to check on her husband, who she expected to find working in the garage. He wasn't there, but noises were coming from the garbage cans, which Zeus went to investigate.

That's when it became clear that the noise was from a bear with 2 cubs digging through the garbage. When Zeus began barking, the mother bear went on the offensive, likely to protect her cubs, and began to chase Zeus down the driveway.

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When a terrified Bailey Jacobson witnessed this, she screamed and ran after both of them to protect her dog. Once the mama bear stopped chasing Zeus and turned her attention back to Bailey, she bolted back home to safety. You can see the whole thing unfold in the WCCO video report below.

Thankfully, Bailey made it back home safely and, shortly thereafter, Zues also returned unharmed.

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WCCO provided a reminder from experts on the steps everyone can take to avoid bear conflicts:

  • Never feed or approach bears.
  • Keep your trash indoors unless it's pick-up day.
  • Remove bird feeders.
  • Never leave pet food outside.
  • Clean your grills.
  • Alert your neighbors if you've seen a bear so they can stay safe.

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