05/24/2026
A homeowner in rural Kentucky nearly sold his tractor last week after finding it moved 20 feet from its usual spot three mornings in a row.
He thought someone was stealing it until he reviewed his trail cam. A clever young black bear had figured out how to put the tractor in neutral and was using the slight hill in the yard to roll it around like his own personal ride.
The bear would climb up, rock it back and forth to get it moving, then ride it down the slope before hopping off and pushing it back up for another go. He even seemed to be getting better at steering it with his paws. The owner now leaves the tractor in a flat area and puts out some safe treats so the bear doesn’t have to work so hard for his joyrides. Kentucky bears really treat life like one big playground.