In Simsbury, Connecticut, Sarah Loving experienced an unusual wildlife encounter shortly after returning from a family lunch with her husband and two young children. Gazing out her window, she noticed two bears meandering through her backyard, a sight that has become somewhat common in this suburban area, just 12 miles northwest of Hartford. Here, it’s not rare to find garbage cans upended on trash day due to curious bears in search of food.
As the bears traversed her yard, one in particular piqued Loving’s interest as it made its way to her family’s wooden playset. To her astonishment, it began ascending the stairs, prompting her to start filming what turned out to be an amusing spectacle. The bear, appearing quite at ease, reached the top landing and proceeded to slide down just as a child might, seemingly familiar with the activity.
Captured in the video, the bear nonchalantly slides down headfirst, using its front paws to control the descent into a soft sand pile at the base. It then lay still for a few moments, casually surveying its surroundings. After a while, the pair of bears moved on, heading into the neighboring yard, concluding their brief ten-minute visit.
Reflecting on the visit, Loving noted how at ease the bears seemed on the playscape, observing that while they’ve been aware of a bear presence since moving to Simsbury two years ago, watching one enjoy a slide was entirely new. “We kept joking that they must have done it before, but we certainly have never seen a bear go down the playscape like that—it was a first for us,” she remarked.