INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Black Bear Climbs Into Truck, Startling Georgia Businessman

By Dustin Wicksell
Published on: 03:32 PST, Aug 9, 2015

A business owner in Georgia was surprised by an American Black Bear recently after he observed it climbing into one of his work trucks, yet he managed to photograph the animal as it seemingly attempted to ride shotgun.

Gilbert Simpson observed the bear as it approached his truck in July, before it climbed into the vehicle through the passenger window, according to Atlanta’s 11Alive. Simpson managed to photograph the bear while it circled and then entered the truck, apparently searching for food. The bear was able to discover a cache of grape sodas left within the vehicle, which it then proceeded to drink. As Simpson watched, the bear entered and exited the vehicle several times, taking food from inside and delivering it to her cubs, WFMY reports.

Unfortunately for Simpson’s employees, the food that the bear had been drawn to was their lunch. Simpson noted that the bear left the area after it had made off with its prize, and that, somewhat surprisingly, there was little damage done to the truck.

Close encounters between bears and humans are a hallmark of every summer, but this year has seen several dramatic incidents recorded. Earlier this year, a family from Montana filmed their close encounter with a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park, as the Inquisitr previously reported. As they stopped along with other tourists in order to observe several bears, the group attracted the attention of one of the animals, which approached their car. The bear made its way onto the car’s hood, where the startled family was able to record the animal. Following the incident, the tourists noted that the bears appeared curious, and showed no signs of aggression.

More recently, a woman in Alaska ran afoul of a brown bear while out jogging with a co-worker. Gabrielle Markel, 20, was attacked and mauled by the bear, but survived the incident. After arriving at a local hospital, she was originally listed in fair condition, but was later upgraded. The two women noted that they inadvertently startled the bear, precipitating the encounter.

Black bears are hardly uncommon in Georgia, and despite a marked decline after the 18th century, the local population has returned to healthy levels. While the animals are commonly known to approach houses and campsites while they search for food, it is hardly usual to see a black bear enter a vehicle for any reason.

[Image: Gilbert Simpson via WFMY]

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