Unbothered California Black Bear Celebrates Summer With Epic Pool Day in Resident’s Backyard originally appeared on PetHelpful.
Nothing screams ‘summer’ quite like a pool party. Between the smell of the barbecue, the sun on your skin, and the splash of the water, what’s not to love?
Pool parties are a classic summertime activity, but one Southern California homeowner discovered that humans aren’t the only ones who like to play and splash in the water when temperatures rise. On her appropriately-named TikTok profile, @bearsinmypool, she documents the frequent bear sightings at her backyard pool that keep her on her toes all summer long.
On June 18, she shared a heartwarming video of one of her frequent visitors, a black bear named Sammy, swimming, splashing, and playing the day away. You could say Sammy is quite the party animal!
This is priceless! Sammy seems very comfortable in their pal’s backyard pool, but the best party is how excited the homeowner is to have her playful bear buddy back, too. She even bought a ball specifically for Sammy to play with!
“He came, he swam, and he broke everything,” one commenter joked. Oops! It must be tricky navigating small spaces with that big body, but some of the bear’s destructive tendencies seemed very purposeful.
Related: Lake Tahoe Photographer Catches Black Bear Going for a Leisurely Swim in the Sun
At least he was remorseful after the pool floatie deflated! It’s just like another commenter said, “He looked at that float like, ‘It was like this when I found it.'” Whatever you say, Sammy!
Fortunately for the big bear, the happy homeowner isn’t prepared to confront him for his destruction. She will, however, keep the pool open as long as the wild animal keeps coming back.
California Black Bears
Even though the famous grizzly bear is on California’s flag, black bears are the only ones that still live in the Golden State. They can be found from the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the East to the Los Angeles hills—and many forested areas in between!
The most famous California black bear was Hank the Tank, who wreaked havoc around Lake Tahoe before being captured and relocated to a safer home. As Sammy proves, however, there are so many entertaining and awe-inspiring bears across the state… and the nation!
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Unbothered California Black Bear Celebrates Summer With Epic Pool Day in Resident’s Backyard first appeared on PetHelpful on Jun 21, 2025
This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.