Bears are gonna bear. This one just happened to pick a backyard pond in Reno, Nevada for its beary pursuits.

Captured on a Ring security camera, the black bear was filmed enjoying a late night dip in a residential pond. After an initial inspection, the nocturnal swimmer slips into the water and shifts into full relaxation mode, sloshing about, panting and even enjoying a cheeky sip from the cooling waters. Content with its new hangout spot the bear settles in for a nap.

Although bears were once exterminated from Nevada, they have made a comeback in the state which now home to around 400-700 of these chunky omnivores. These increased numbers mean that bears often roam into residential gardens to search of food. Fruit trees, discarded food or unsecured garbage cans can offer a veritable buffet for hungry bears. And right now, Nevada's bears are very hungry.

"Bears are nearing the end of hyperphagia and that’s a phase they go through when they spend all of their time and energy trying to build up calories," Ashley Sanchez, public information officer at the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), told a local news outlet. "They’re trying to take in 20,000 [calories] compared to the normal 5,000."

As the bears fatten up in preparation for hibernation they'll forage for food wherever they can and that often means they come into conflict with humans. A nighttime swim in a backyard pond is fairly harmless, but bears can become overly comfortable around human dwellings and this can lead to dangerous encounters that rarely end well for people or bears. Wildlife officials are pleading with homeowners in bear country to secure their trash and to ensure their homes are as bear-proof as possible. 

Header image: Ben Forsyth