Duluth Homeowner Discovers Bear Cub Trapped In Basement

DULUTH, Minn. (WCCO) -- A Minnesota family had a wild encounter in the basement of their home.

A black bear cub fell inside through a window. A video shows police officers setting it free outside.

Outside their Duluth home, wild animals are natural neighbors for Linda and Abdon Friend.

"And we've heard cats out before that were killing rabbits or squirrels," Linda Friend said.

But inside is a different story.

"Started hearing the growling, the carrying on down there," Abdon said.

Down in their basement Linda couldn't believe her eyes.

"It was sitting right here on the steps," she said.

A black bear cub was staring back at her after falling inside through this broken window.

"He was right over there in that corner," Abdon said.

Leading to several minutes of madness.

"We had coffee cans over, we had paint cans down on the floor," Linda said.

"He was pretty spry. Two old folks trying to chase him around in the basement, I bet we looked funny," Abdon said.

They trapped it using a laundry basket and waited for police.

"The bear came in like that then they immediately put this on as a cap," Linda said.

With the bear secured in the tote, police said the most important thing was to get it outside, so the mom bear wouldn't come inside.

"Because you don't mess with a cub bear. Her mama get ya," Abdon said.

With a little encouragement, the cub wandered off.

The bear in this picture is believed to be the mother, which police say was waiting in a nearby tree with two more cubs.

"I felt sorry for him because I knew he'd got away from his mom somehow, got separated," Abdon said.

A heartfelt goodbye after a heart-racing encounter with a wild neighbor.

"But we never expected one to come in the house," Linda said.

"We didn't invite him," Abdon said.

The responding officers say they've never experienced something like this before. The DNR was called, but the officers felt it was necessary to get the bear out before conservation officers arrived.