A video capturing a bear’s amusing and fruitless attempts to climb onto a hammock in Vail, Colorado, has left the internet in stitches.
The clip, posted on TikTok by Courtney Vucekovich (@courtneyvucekovich), humorously shows the bear’s growing frustration as it tries, and repeatedly fails, to mount the hammock for a nap.
The video begins with a small dog lounging peacefully on the hammock in a tranquil outdoor setting, tied to a tree and surrounded by the sun-drenched Colorado wilderness.
A message overlaid on the video playfully sets up the contrast, saying, “How I thought buying this hammock in the mountains would go.”
A subsequent note overlaid on the clip reads, “Vs. whatever is going on here,” as the idyllic scene quickly shifts in tone as the bear is shown stumbling in its attempts to climb into the hammock, before finally giving up and appearing to “attack” a nearby pillow in frustration.
The footage was captured in August this year, shortly after Vucekovich and her family moved into their vacation home in Vail, which sits on nine acres of land, the poster told Newsweek.
Staying Safe Around Bears
The Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) website says “bears that get too comfortable around people can destroy property or even become a threat to human safety.
“Most conflicts between people and bears can be traced to human food, garbage, pet food, bird seed or other attractants. When people allow bears to find food, a bear’s natural drive to eat can overcome its wariness of humans,” the website read.
The CPW advised that garbage should be securely stored in “wildlife-resistant containers” and never left out overnight, while garbage cans should be put in a closed shed or garage. Trash cans should also be regularly cleaned with ammonia or bleach because empty trash containers can still attract bears.
The CPW warned, “Leaving attractants, like trash cans and bird feeders (hummingbird, suet and seed), out where they are accessible to bears is a violation of state law, as well as some local city and county ordinances.”
Bears should never be approached or offered any food and those lucky enough to see one should watch from a safe distance.
The CPW advised: “Stand still, stay calm and let the bear identify you and leave. Talk in a normal tone of voice. Be sure the bear has an opening to leave the area. Never run or climb a tree.
“If the bear doesn’t leave, wave your arms slowly overhead and talk calmly. Step off the trail to the downhill side, keep looking at the bear and slowly back away until the bear is out of sight,” the CPW said.
‘I Feel Her Frustration’
Vucekovich told Newsweek: “We bought a vacation home here last August so we’ve been here a year, and it sits on about nine acres. As animal lovers, my family and I have been absolutely captivated by the nature around us.
“I’ve only ever seen deer and the occasional turkey, so when I walked by the kitchen window and saw a bear doing somersaults in my hammock, I started screaming,” she recalled.
Vucekovich said her father initially thought something was wrong due to her screaming, only to join in the excitement when he realized what was happening.
She explained: “My dad thought something terrible had happened and ran to the kitchen, and then we were both screaming in excitement. I had just bought that hammock from Lulu and Georgia, but I didn’t care at all because it was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I had never even seen a bear in person before, so watching one swing and fall off my hammock was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
The video has sparked plenty of reactions from other TikTok users, with many finding the bear’s antics both comical and relatable.
One user, ofalion, humorously questioned “What is the bear doing?” Another user, drpeppermeemaw, highlighted the comical moment when the bear lashed out at the pillow, writing, “The intermission to attack the pillow.”
Similarly, krivello1 shared their sympathy for the bear’s frustration, commenting “Oh girl, I feel her frustration and then to go and attack the pillow.”
Vucekovich said that despite the bear’s struggle, it left the hammock largely undamaged. “I don’t think my dad was this excited when I was born, we were both thrilled. I have no idea how she—I’ve decided the bear is a girl—didn’t completely destroy it, but I’ve left it up for her in case she wants to come back and try again. She left after about five minutes.”
Since the incident, Vucekovich has installed a camera in the hope of capturing the bear’s return, saying “I even bought a camera to put on a tree in front of the hammock, and I’m patiently waiting for her return,” as are her TikTok fans.
TikTok users continued to shower the post with humorous reactions. One user, karly_friez, noted the bear’s escalating irritation, writing “She is BIG MAD,” while punkyy130328 chimed in with, “I sense anger.”
Another, @aprilrainville770 complimented the durability of the hammock, writing, “That’s one sturdy hammock,” a sentiment echoed by several other commenters.
A stock image of bear rolling around in grass outdoors. A video of a bear appearing to become increasingly frustrated after repeatedly falling off a hammock has gone viral on TikTok.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
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