Bear approaches British woman on her porch, licks her hand

A British woman having a cigarette on her front porch was approached by a bear that licked her on the hand. Melanie Porter said she was smoking and sitting in a chair on her front porch Thursday night in Quesnel when she spotted movement in her front yard that she initially thought was a neighborhood cat. "I look up and it's a bear and I freeze," Porte said "I'm thinking, 'Oh, what do I do? What do I do?' I'm just going to stay still." Porter said the bear walked right up, sniffed her and licked her on the right hand. Porter snapped a photo of the bear standing just inches in front of where she was sitting. The bear eventually backed off and Porter rushed back inside her house. She said a neighbor's security camera footage revealed the bear had been watching her from the yard for some time before approaching. British Columbia is believed to be home to one quarter of the entire population of black bears in Canada. Wildlife officials recommend never approaching a bear, and using loud noises to keep the animals at a distance.