Bears are incredible animals with great strength and a curious nature. This makes them a very interesting subject for humans to study, and it is natural to want to know more about them. However, bears are wild animals, and it is important to keep a safe and respectful distance if you ever encounter them.

One man, Patrick Conley from Asheville, North Carolina, has had many encounters with bears since the late summer of 2017 when a bear family began to visit his home. The man lives in the Beaverdam Valley, where local bears are habituated, meaning they are familiar with and typically ignore humans. But this one family has come to know Conley and often pays him visits in his front yard and porch.

After getting to know the bears for years, Conley decided to give them names. The elder mother is Maïté, and she has a large, full-grown son Maurice, a daughter named Simone, who is now a mother to two young cubs, and another daughter named Solange. This loving family has come to trust Conley and must enjoy his presence because they continue to return to his property.

Conley posts videos of his encounters with the bears on his YouTube page. In a video from May 2021, you can see the first time Simone brings her adorable little cubs to visit Conley. The man was sitting on his front porch when the bears emerged from the tree line. Conley made his presence known by calling out to them "I'm over here!" And then the mother marched her cubs up the steps so Conley could get a good look at them. The bears walked around the porch exploring for a bit and then disappeared into the woods once more.

Neither Conley nor the bears got too close to one another, but it was clear that the mother, Simone, felt comfortable enough with the man that she wasn't acting overly protective or concerned for her cubs while he was nearby. This is because Simone has grown up around Conley after her own mother brought her to meet him years before.

Conley clearly cares for and respects these incredible animals. He wrote this in the description of his video, "The collar is gone - nice! - and she looks well-fed. The cubs are the cutest things to ever have walked these woods, but then I'm kind of biased." It is not explained why Simone had a collar previously, but it is good that it's gone now. Conley also pointed out in the description, "Being that it's her first litter I tried my best not to spook her or the little ones. She seemed pretty comfortable with the proximity so I'm guessing we'll be seeing her again soon."

The bears in this area of North Carolina are special. Conley explains in his YouTube About page, "They'd come by about once a week while foraging for acorns, berries, insects, etc. All Beaverdam bears are 'habituated', which means they are used to seeing humans and mostly ignore them as they go about their business. Unfortunately, many are 'food conditioned', which is not a good thing."

He elaborates on this, saying, "Too many people forget to secure their garbage carts, or leave pet food and birdseed out. Once a bear relies on humans to provide food, it loses its natural ability to forage and can become aggressive." This is a good reminder to treat wild animals with respect and follow local guidelines. See the full video of the encounter below: