The Welshtown couple was gone for only 45 minutes but when they returned they found their back screen door was hanging from its hinges and deep gouges were visible throughout the doorframe.

Williams’ first thought was that a thief had tried to break in but on closer inspection, he realized that the gouges were teeth and claw markings.

“It was a bear,” he said.

“There was this brown foam hanging from the siding and bloody paw prints up the siding where he cut himself.”

The bear attempted to get into one of the neighbouring homes, also empty for the evening.

“The funny thing is,” said Williams, “he walked right past the green compost bin and garbage cans without touching them.”

Arthur Swaine, district supervisor for the Department of Natural Resources in Shelburne County explained that the incident is most likely an isolated one.

“There was probably something that caught the bears curiosity,” he said. “A sweet smell he couldn’t identify, something as simple as a cup of coffee.”

The department set a live bear trap on the edge of Williams’ property so that if the bear were to come back he would be taken to another area away from homes or cottages.

“This is the first trap we’ve had to set this season,” said Swaine.

Swaine guessed that he was a young male bear used to breaking into cottages and now on his travels looking for a new home.

Jennifer Gavin, communications officer for the Department of Natural Resources said that it is uncommon for a bear to walk past available food in the garbage bins to actively try to get into a house but bears in the province are still frightened of humans and tend to stay away.

“There has never been a bear attack in Nova Scotia,” she said.

“That is not to say people shouldn’t still use caution,” she added.