(Photo credit: Kim Bouwman) Bear leaning up against the door eating fake berries off the wreath

A woman from the Ste.Anne area had quite the surprise Thursday afternoon.

Kim Bouwman lives about one mile east of Oakwood Golf Course. Bouwman says at around 4:30 pm she was sitting in her living room when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked over and saw a bear, about three or four years old on her front doorstep.

"I got up, grabbed my phone to set up the camera and by the time I got to just the front entrance the bear was already up on his hind legs," recalls Bouwman, who says her heart was pounding at this point.

Bouwman says the bear must have been looking for food and decided to try some of the berries on her wreath hanging from the front door. The only problem, what looked like berries were actually just pieces of Styrofoam.

"Certainly wasn't an appetizing meal for him," she jokes.

The bear, which stood about five and a half feet, got back on all fours and walked next door before eventually leaving the neighbourhood.

Bouwman says she moved to the area in June and this is already her second bear sighting. Bouwman says in spring there was a bear that stood on its hind legs and ate food from the neighbour's bird feeder.

"We'll be more careful coming out of our vehicles now or leaving the house," notes Bouwman. "Just kind of scan the area first before we take any steps and take the precautions to ensure that garbage is closed up tightly."

(Photo credit: Kim Bouwman) Another photo of the bear on Bouwman's yard