A Colorado man learned the importance of locking his doors in bear country when one of the animals broke into his SUV at night in search of an easy meal. A video captured on a security camera shows a black bear easily opening one of his vehicle's doors and clambering right inside,
Black bears are opportunistic and resourceful scavengers, and the video (which you can watch below) shows the animal sniffing the car in a parking lot, before standing on its hind legs and opening an unlocked rear door using the handle.
As United Press International reports, bears are particularly active right now as they increase feeding to lay on fat stores to see them through hibernation.
Habituation and food conditioning are serious problems for wildlife, changing animals' behavior and increasing the chances of encounters with people. Its important to keep your food out of reach of bears, as well as toiletries and anything else with a strong smell that may attract their attention.
That's particularly important in areas like National Parks with a high population of bears, "In some parks, food may be stored inside your car as long as it is out of sight, with windows completely closed, and only during daylight hours," advises the National Park Service.
"Never store food in a pickup truck bed or strapped to the outside of a vehicle. In other parks, all food must be removed from your car and stored in lockers. Remember to clear your car of food wrappers, crumbs in baby seats, baby wipes, and even canned food and drinks."
For more details of what to do in a close encounter, see our guides what to do if you meet a bear and how to use bear spray.
- Best binoculars: enjoy wildlife from a safe distance
