A bear broke into a car in Colorado and destroyed the inside.
Bear Breaks Into Car, Destroys Interior Before Police Let It Out
Did you know that bears love getting into cars but have no idea how to get out of them? Well, now you do: A bear in Colorado was caught doing just that earlier this year.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office was called out to inspect a prime case of "bear in car," with bodycam footage showing the situation and exactly how one officer approached it.
It doubles as a funny video and as a strong PSA to practice adequate bear safety measures if you live in an area where the animals are present.
The police officer chained a rope to the car door to free the bear.
"Caution: Local Bears May Redecorate Your Ride," Jefferson County police wrote in a Facebook caption accompanying the footage. "One of our deputies responded to a different kind of car break-in on Saturday morning in the foothills. A bear decided to hop inside someone’s vehicle, leaving behind a mess only a bear could appreciate. Bears are good at breaking into vehicles, but not so good at getting out. This is a good reminder to keep your vehicles locked, even when at home. Also, bears can smell any snacks you may leave in your car, so don’t tempt them to turn your car into a bear buffet!"
The bear took some coaxing to get out of the car.
In the video, the officer can be seen and heard speaking with the owner of the bear-infested car and approaching the vehicle, confirming, "Oh, there's a bear in there."
Once the officer has assessed the situation, he explains his strategy, which is to tie a long rope to the car's door handle, get as far away from the car as possible, then pull on the rope to open the car door. The idea was that the bear would then be free to go as it pleased and hopefully wouldn't be a danger to the two men.
The bear totally destroyed the car's interior.
Luckily, the plan worked and the officer was able to get the door open easily.
It took a little coaxing and clapping to get the bear to actually leave the car, but it eventually did after a few moments.
The police officer and the car's owner were then able to approach the car and see that the interior was completely torn up.
The officer warned the car's owner to practice bear safety measures.
The officer took the opportunity to remind the owner (and viewers), "Important to lock your cars and keep all food and stuff out."
Bears are attracted to food sources, so it's important to secure all food items properly as well as keeping trash cans well out of bears' way. For more information on living with bears, visit the Colorado Parks & Wildlife website.