A quick-thinking mum sprung into action to grab her young daughter after a bear turned up in their back garden - you can see the dramatic footage here:
Samantha Martin’s toddler Juniper was in the backyard at the family’ home in Redmond, Seattle, when all of a sudden a small black bear decided to pay them a visit, prompting the mum to dash out and scoop up the youngster.
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Security footage caught the moment little Juniper toddled out the house, while her mum urged her to come back inside.
As the youngster steps further into the garden she can be heard excitedly exclaiming: “That’s a bear!”
Upon hearing this, Samantha dashes out and grabs the baby before quickly heading back inside.
Speaking to Fox 13, she said: “I just panicked. I didn't really have a lot of thoughts in the moment so much as get the child and get back inside.
She added: “It was just a little baby bear, but my biggest concern wasn't necessarily the baby bear so much as I didn't know where the mom was and didn't know how she'd feel about two humans running towards her baby.”
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Samantha says prior to her stepped outside, her young daughter had been watching a movie inside, but thinks she must have secretly unlocked the door after catching a glimpse of the wild animal.
The mum said bears are two-year-old Juniper’s favourite animal and she is able to recognise them thanks to a picture book she has; Samantha says since the incident she’s been teaching her daughter about how dangerous the animals can be to humans.
The family have now installed a child-safety lock to the patio door and Samantha has stopped filling the bird feeder in the yard as she believes that may have been what attracted the bear in the first place.
She said: “I love birds, but I also don't want bears to continuously come into the yard, so I'm not putting the bird seed back up.”
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After Samantha and Juniper’s run in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has warned local residents that the bears are now coming out of hibernation and are most likely feeling hungry.
Residents have been urged not to leave food - including bird feed - outside during the spring months.
Chase Gunnell, a spokesperson for the WDFW said: “Bird feeders can provide a real attractant for bears and other wildlife… take down your bird feeders in the spring.”
Topics: US News