R.I. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SURVEILLANCE VIDEO
The black bear caught in surveillance video in Cranston's busy Auburn neighborhood Tuesday night.
NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. -- Paula Owen just happened to be sitting in a chair at home Saturday evening that offered her a view out the front door to the family's front porch and patio on Cynthia Drive.
The outside light was on around 7:45 p.m. when something caught her eye -- "Well, first I thought, that dog is really close to my front door, and we don't really have stray dogs in the neighborhood."
But then her mind really took in what was before her, just two feet from her front door -- the shape, and just how massive the creature was.
"And I thought, that's the bear!" she said Sunday after the encounter inspired her to post the visit on her Facebook page.
She had been keeping track of the bear all week -- as have many Rhode Islanders since the black bear was originally seen last Monday in Cranston -- and notes that it has just been "such a fun story" to follow.
She called the police -- just so they could keep tabs on the wandering bear.
Saturday night, North Kingstown police Lt. James Robinson said a resident reported seeing the animal on Newcomb Road and Pine River Drive around 6 p.m.
Owen also started alerting the neighbors, some of whom were outside doing storm prep for the approaching Hurricane Sandy -- bring in your dogs, "I just saw the bear," Paula told them.