If you needed another reason to lock your car, police in Colorado are offering a one-word reminder: bears.
The Daily Beast labeled this incident “Unlicensed Driver” as they shared a warning about bears breaking into a car in Boulder, Colorado and crashing it. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Department explains that a bear opened the driver’s door of a sedan parked on a hill and sent it in motion, rolling down the incline and crashing into a tree.
This happened on Thursday night when it is thought that the bear accidentally pushed the car into gear. In an effort to get out of the vehicle after the crash, the bear tore apart the interior, explained a spokesman for the sheriff’s office.
“The car rolled back and off the driveway and about 100 ft down the hill. The four legged suspect swiped a tree, rendering the car undrivable, but in the process popped a door open, and fled on foot… er, on paws in an unknown direction.”
The initial warning from the police was posted on the Facebook page of the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office who shared the story of a “delinquent bear.” Photos of the trashed car’s interior show that in an effort to escape, the panicked bear tried to dig out through all four car doors before ultimately getting free.
In the post, police surmise that the bear “butt shifted” the car into neutral which caused it to roll down the driveway. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office also warns people not to leave food in their cars, believing that the smell is what attracted the bear in the first place.
The Denver Post warns that it’s not only important to secure your vehicle, but also your home, your outbuildings and your campsite, particularly when you live in bear country.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill offers some tips to keep yourself and your belongings safe whether you live in a region with a bear population, or if you are visiting in the summer months. Churchill warns that if you have a bird or wildlife feeder, take it down from April through Thanksgiving.
“Bird feeders are attractants to bears. They are really full of calories and a great reward for a bear that is worth the effort to get to.”
Don’t keep animal or livestock feed outdoors. Instead, keep it secured in a barn or shed. She warns that if you have bees, invest in an electric fence as bears will seek the honey. Bears will go after “chickens and goats or other small livestock,” so lock them up in a fully enclosed kennel or barn that’s bear-proofed.
Watch as police try to get a wild bear out of a car… ?
The officers tie a rope to a door handle before retiring to a safe distance.
The animal is thought to have broken into the vehicle because it smelt food inside. #Bears #Colorado #Animals pic.twitter.com/zz4RHzD4TW
— On Demand News (@ODN) June 28, 2019
