Connecticut family gets a furry surprise when they find a hibernating bear under their deck
When Vincent Dashukewich took a peek under the deck, a sleepy black bear was staring back at him.

Family finds hibernating bear under their deck.
Bears are cute, even the giant grizzly bears that would probably eat you if given the chance. There's something about them being chubby and fluffy that makes you want to snuggle them. But most people, wisely, wouldn't dare to get close to one because humans have pretty keen survival skills that override the cuteness factor.
But as humans continue to encroach on natural animal habitats, there are more and more reports of interactions with bears. Mostly bears getting into trash cans or opening car doors while everyone is tucked in their beds, sound asleep. Recently, a Connecticut family found themselves unexpectedly face to face with a hibernating bear.
When Vincent Dashukewich took his dog out, she started acting strangely and growling at something under the pool deck. Surprisingly, when Dashukewich took a peek under the deck, a sleepy black bear was staring back at him. That's certainly a sight that will get your heart pumping.
Dashukewich told ABC News, "He's been super chill. I've gone out to check on his a few times and he hasn't really moved. He's looked at me a few times, but you know, he's pretty calm right now." If you're wondering why he's still got a bear hanging out under his pool deck, it's because the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said to leave the bear to do bear things as long as it's not bothering anyone. The agency surmises that Marty the Bear will leave by the end of the month.
But if the Dashukewich's new guard bear doesn't want to play nice anymore, they can call wildlife officials to remove Marty. While I personally wouldn't want a Marty under my deck, he sure is cute all snuggled up under someone else's.
If you want to get a look at this real life furry intruder, check out the video below.
- National Park Service shares helpful—and hilarious—advice for how to handle a bear encounter ›
- Adorable video of bears failing at 'hammocking' is the cuteness we all needed today ›
- The climate crisis has led to a strange new animal hybrid. Meet the 'pizzly bear.' ›
- Couple investigating noises accidentally awaken a bear - Upworthy ›
- Bear breaks into nursing home trying out beds like Goldilocks - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."