Man in US relaxing outside home comes face-to-face with black bear. Watch what happens next

An afternoon relaxing session for a man in North Carolina took a dramatic turn when he suddenly discovered a black bear wandering into his backyard and staring at him for minutes.

On Sunday, David Oppenheimer was relaxing on a sun lounger when the bear wandered up to him and made him jump in shock. The moment was caught on video by his door bell camera in his house in Asheville.

“I looked behind me and didn’t see anything,” Oppenheimer told CNN, “But about a minute later, the bear came along and was practically in front of me.”

Add WION as a Preferred Source

In the clip, Oppenheimer can be seen relaxing in his chair when the bear suddenly forays into his space while seemingly searching for food. Upon sensing something, Oppenheimer turns his head to find the animal.

For a few seconds, Oppenheimer and the bear stared at each other as both were equally startled and their bodies froze. Thankfully, no one was injured and the furry animal scurried out.

“My eyeballs certainly got a stretch,” Oppenheimer joked. He believes that the bear was relatively young.

However, this isn’t the first instance that these two encountered each other.

Oppenheimer said the same bear visited his home a couple times before to inspect trash cans and grab a quick bite from his "bear-proof" bird feeder.

"The bears here are very peaceful," Oppenheimer told CNN. "This one just caught me off guard."

Bears are a common sight in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Local reports suggest that there have been negligible instances of bear attacks in the area.

There are an estimated 15,000 black bears in the state, according to wildlife officials. Over the last 30 years, the population has expanded at an estimated rate of 6 per cent per year, say reports.

They are most commonly spotted in people's backyards or walking around the community, and people aren't really fazed by them.

Oppenheimer said being so close to the bear is "what made it a little awkward" in their encounter, but he's thinking of adding a rearview mirror for his chair, just so he's ready in case it happens again.

"If I saw it coming, I would be more calm," he told USA Today.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE