Connecticut man surprised by garage-invading bear

Sept. 18 (UPI) -- A Connecticut man shared video of his close encounter with a black bear he found lurking in a garage.

Andrew Hart of Hart Curb Appeal LLC said he was at a work site in Bloomfield when he encountered the unexpected garage guest.

Security camera footage shows Hart walking up the driveway toward the garage when the bear suddenly pokes its head out from the open garage door, causing Hart to flee.

"Safe to say I need new pants after that one," Hart told WFSB-TV.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the local black bear population has sharply increased in recent years, with sightings reported in 165 of the state's 169 cities and towns in 2023.