A Connecticut family got the surprise of the year when a playful black bear turned their backyard into a personal playground—and yes, he used the slide.
Sarah Loving and her family had just returned home from lunch in Simsbury on April 19 when they spotted not one but two black bears roaming their yard. While the Lovings are no strangers to bear sightings, what happened next was anything but ordinary.
As they watched from a safe distance, the bears made their way toward the kids’ playset. That’s when one of the bears decided to climb the ladder—just like a child would. Naturally, the family whipped out their phones and hit record.
In the now-viral footage, you can hear someone gasp, “Oh my goodness!” as the curious bear sniffs around the top of the slide. Then comes the magic: the bear sits at the top, stretches out its front paws, and whooshes down the green plastic slide on its belly, nailing the descent like a seasoned playground pro.
The family burst into laughter as the bear landed effortlessly at the bottom. Meanwhile, its bear buddy chilled on the grass, probably waiting for its turn.
“They seemed so comfortable on the playscape,” Sarah told the Associated Press. “We just kept joking that they probably have been here before, but we’ve never seen one go down the slide.”
The bears lingered for about 10 more minutes before wandering off, leaving behind nothing but paw prints—and a pretty epic memory.
This isn’t the first time bears have shown off their surprisingly human antics. From sneaking doughnuts out of delivery trucks to taking a dip in backyard pools, it’s clear these clever creatures know how to have a good time.
But a bear on a playground slide? That might just take the cake.
Seen any wild animal shenanigans in your own backyard?