Every few years, a black bear or two is spotted in Chapel Hill. This is so normal that Orange County’s Animal Services has multiple guides for what to do if black bears are spotted.
Each time a bear is spotted, the one-bit Twitter account @ChapelHillBear awakens from hibernation to muse on being in the (very) local spotlight. It did not take us long to track the Twitter account to an ancient cave on Franklin Street. Between sets, the mind behind Twitter’s local Ursus americanus answered these questions:
Why did you choose Martin Luther King Blvd. to amble down after waking up from hibernation?
I was looking for stuff to eat! I heard good things about Root Cellar. Bears sleep in dark and cool Root Cellars, right?
Do you plan to eat anyone while you’re awake?
I’m a vegan bear baby! Berries and leaves for me, and maybe a kombucha from Weaver Street. I hear there’s a good honey stand at the farmer’s market.
Do pots and pans really scare you, or is that a myth?
Not at all. What really scares black bears is the ongoing discourse on NextDoor.
We know that you’ve been to the NC Botanical Garden in the past. Anywhere else you recommend seeing in Chapel Hill?
Mason Farm Biological Reserve and Carolina North. Lot’s to eat there. And of course, The Cave – both a musical venue and a place to sleep for 5-7 months at a time while conserving muscle mass and lowering my body temperature by about 12 degrees.
Are you smarter than the average….well, you know?
Like many Chapel Hill residents, I have a PhD in an obscure subject but can comment on everything else.
Have you ever been to the Crabtree Mall Build-a-Bear and how did you feel about the stuffing part?
Oh Dear! No! The stuffing part is really weird. Especially the bit where they insert a heart!
Goldilocks- innocent victim or criminal mastermind?
A – Criminal mastermind. I mean, just look at her? Nobody would ever suspect her of anything malicious. She has a really good PR team.