Alaska is a place where even the largest city is close to nature. Most of the time, animal encounters are fairly ordinary, like a lost moose wandering the streets or ravens picking through the garbage. But in 2017, this remarkable event occurred proving just how wild Alaska can be. Zach Landis, age 11 at the time, had a bear in his bedroom. This harrowing tale will live on in Alaska for years to come.
The Landis family lives in Anchorage near the picturesque Lake Otis. The neighborhood is usually a peaceful place to live a quiet life.
This neighborhood has a view of the Chugach Mountains and, like the rest of Alaska, isn't far from the wilderness. Exactly how close was demonstrated on June 26, 2017 when nature came too close for comfort.
Alaska is full of black bears, primarily in the lower latitudes. Brown bears rule the interior and the far north is the domain of the Polar bears. Bears stay away from urban center Anchorage, but are part of the community in coastal towns where the fish are plentiful.
Black bears have incredibly sharp claws that they use for prey as well as tree climbing. Bears are frequently seen resting in trees, and usually escape from danger by climbing high above it.
This night, however, the animal charged the boys window and whether the move was scared or aggressive, we will never know. The bear crashed through the window and tumbled into 11 year-old son's bedroom! The animal, roughly the size of a grown man, was as disoriented and afraid as the boy.
The bear crashed into the sleeping boy's bedroom, smashing the window with an ear-splitting sound. The boy bolted awake and watched as the black bear scratched the walls before exiting back through the broken window.
Mom made sure this wasn't a prank by the big sisters while dad checked out the scene. After confirming that the sleepy boy could believe his shocked eyes, they called authorities so neighbors would know a bear was in the area.
