Kentucky Woman Falls Asleep With KFC on Her Table. Then a Big Hairy Intruder Broke Into Her Home: ‘Looked at Me Dead in the Eyes’

A woman in Harlan County, Kentucky, says she woke up to an unusual warning from her sister. A black bear had entered her home early one morning in August 2026 and eaten leftover Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) from a table. Kendra North told local news outlet Fox 56 that she is a heavy sleeper. She did not hear the bear enter her home. Her sister, who lives next door, heard a loud crash. She then saw the animal leave North’s house, according to the report.

North said her sister began repeatedly calling her around 5 a.m. North initially declined the calls before answering. “My sister started calling me, like, five in the morning, and I declined her at least twice, and she just kept calling,” North told Fox 56. “I answered the call, and she was like, ‘Bro, there’s a bear, and it just walked out of your house, and it came down your steps. It came and looked at me dead in the eyes,’” she said.

The incident illustrates a broader problem Kentucky wildlife officials have repeatedly warned residents about: Bears can be attracted to easily accessible human food, including fast food like KFC. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources says black bears will eat a wide variety of natural foods but will also scavenge human food and garbage when available.

Fast Food Has Figured In Other Bear Break-Ins.

In another bear and KFC-related incident, on Nov. 11, 2021, CBS Los Angeles reported that Sierra Madre, California, homeowner John Holden returned home to find a bear in his kitchen eating his Kentucky Fried Chicken. Holden said a mother bear remained outside while her two cubs entered the house. One cub ate the KFC from the kitchen counter while the other moved through the home.

In May 2025, a black bear was spotted in Grandview, Missouri, near a Taco Bell. The city confirmed the sighting on May 13, 2025, after the Missouri Department of Conservation worked with Grandview Animal Control to verify it. Local reporting said a police officer followed the bear to a dumpster near the restaurant

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife says people should never approach a black bear. If someone encounters one from a distance, the agency recommends changing course. If a bear approaches, people should stand their ground, raise their arms to appear larger, and yell until the animal leaves.

Officials specifically warn people not to run. That can trigger a chase response. If a black bear attacks, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife says to fight back aggressively rather than play dead.

To reduce the risk of attracting bears, Kentucky officials advise residents to secure food, garbage, and recycling, remove bird feeders when bears are active, keep pet food indoors, and clean and properly store grills and smokers. Kentucky’s bear population has expanded in recent decades, particularly in eastern Kentucky. The department says bears have recolonized the state as forests recovered and populations expanded from neighboring Appalachian states.

In Harlan County, North said the bear shattered a thick glass table inside the home. Her sister initially thought the sound was a car crash before realizing what had happened, according to Fox 56.

North believes the bear entered because of the leftover KFC on the table. She also offered a less-than-thrilled assessment of the food’s fate. “I’m a little sad over my KFC,” North told the station.

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