'It was hilarious': Woman uses skeleton to scare bear away from trash cans

Home surveillance camera captures bear being scared away

SALEM, Va. – We've all heard the saying "skeletons in the closet," but skeletons on a trash can?

Joni Moss's home surveillance camera captured the motion-activated skeleton perched on top of one of her trash cans scaring a bear away multiple times in the past three days.

"For years, the bear has gotten in our trash. Recently, he's been getting into it a whole lot," Moss said.

She spent around $100 on locks for her trash cans only to discover a much cheaper and arguably more entertaining option as the best solution.

"We saw something on Facebook about a Halloween decoration, so we went and bought one (for) $25," Moss said. "It was hilarious to see the first time it scared the bear because I was kind of having doubts that it was actually going to work."

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Now, Moss's neighbors may try her same approach.

Neighbor Penny Seidman said bears have become an almost unbearable problem in the neighborhood.

"Last night, it took down all three of my hummingbird feeders. I came outside and I might have been two feet from it and it's big," Seidman said.

A spooky fix for a problem that is having laughable and successful results.