Taco Bell in Grandview, Missouri, customers were in for a fright when a black bear strolled into the restaurant's parking lot.

What's happening?

According to KCTV 5, a local resident, Mr. Pearson, spotted a black bear outside his property when he tried to take his dogs for an early morning stroll. 

"We really were not expecting that," Pearson said.

The black bear wandered through Grandview, ending up in people's yards and the Taco Bell parking lot.

Knowing that encounters with bears can be dangerous, Pearson hastily took his dogs inside, snapped a picture of the bear, and called the police and animal control.

Continuing its journey, the bear ended up in Stilwell, Kansas. Unfortunately, a spokesperson from the Missouri Department of Conservation told KCTV 5 that the bear was injured and limping. 

"I encourage people that see this bear to give it some space and let us know where and when it was seen," they said.

Why are encounters between animals and humans important?

Black bears are more likely to run away from an encounter with a human than the more aggressive grizzly bears. However, it can't be denied that they are wild animals with unpredictable tendencies, so it is best to keep your distance if you do see a black bear out and about.

Unfortunately, some people see bears and other wild animals and decide to pose for selfies instead of leaving them in peace.

Encounters between humans and animals may be becoming more commonplace because of the growth in the human population alongside the destruction of many wild animals' habitats. As well as this, resources such as food may be reduced because of human intervention, hunting, and a changing climate.

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What's being done about these encounters?

If you personally come across a wild animal in an unexpected place, it's important to reach out to animal control to keep yourself, the community, and the animal safe. Although it might be exciting to spot an animal you haven't seen before, the best thing to do is to give it plenty of space and not put yourself in a dangerous situation for the sake of a selfie or a cool story.

By protecting the environment and conserving habitats, we can help protect our communities by limiting dangerous encounters with wildlife. 

If animals can live in peace in their own habitats, with all the resources they need to survive, it is much more unlikely that they will stray too close to homes and towns. Additionally, protecting the environment will promote greater biodiversity and thriving natural ecosystems.

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