Family Hears Moaning Under the House—Here’s What They Found

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A family in Pagosa Springs, Colorado had a shock last week. They came outside to enjoy their back deck and heard “huffing and moaning” sounds coming from under the house. The family called Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) for help, thinking an injured animal may have sought refuge there. Turns out, it was a 400-pound bear.

CPW Southwest Region shared the unusual situation on X in a series of posts. First, CPW shares a photo of the very large bear apparently snoozing beneath the family’s back porch. Wildlife officials believed they recognized the bear as one with a reputation for seeking out “non-natural food sources,” so they tranquilized the bear in an effort to relocate it.

The black bear was so heavy, CPW said it was a bit of an ordeal to get it out from beneath the back deck. Wildlife officials relied on the help of “several bystanders” to move the bear. CPW then released the animal into its natural habitat. In the release video, also shared to X and embedded below, you can hear the bear moaning, giving you a sense of what the family must have heard when they first went outside.

Note: Though the bear has brown fur, it’s a black bear. Black bears can have brown, black, or cinnamon-colored fur, and they’re the only species of bear that lives in Colorado.

See what was making the moaning sounds under a Colorado family’s house here:

Knowing this particular bear was likely one commonly spotted in the area for several years with a reputation for getting into non-natural food sources, CPW Officers Cody Rarick and Nate Martinez decided to attempt to use a tranquilizer dart to sedate the bear and relocate it. pic.twitter.com/o9ZSOfGNRV

— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) July 2, 2024

After the grueling process, the big bear was relocated to ideal bear habitat, far from humans to give it the best chance at success where it will find abundant natural foods.

Watch as District Wildlife Manager Nate Martinez releases it. pic.twitter.com/wmBsMTDmQt

— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) July 2, 2024