A California Highway Patrol office recently had an unlikely visitor opening the front door and taking a walk around the premises — a bear that was caught on video entering the facility while standing in an upright position, much like an ordinary human would.
As noted in a report from UPI , the video depicting the bear’s unexpected visit was shared on Facebook on Saturday by the California Highway Patrol’s Donner Pass division. In the clip, the bear can be seen peering through the window of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility in the mountain town of Truckee standing on its hind legs. The video then shows the bear using its paw to open the front door, then dropping on all fours while taking a look at the vending machines inside the office.
After a few seconds, the bear was shown exiting through the parking lot at the back, with two officers leaving the facility through the front door shortly after. As of this writing, the video has been viewed about 54,000 times, with over 670 shares and 620 reactions.
According to ABC News , the incident took place on the night of November 17, exactly one week before the video was shared on Facebook.
As shown in the comments on the CHP Donner Pass Facebook page, many social media users compared the black bear’s actions to that of a famous animated character known for his penchant for stealing picnic baskets — Yogi Bear.
“Heard muttering, ‘I just wanted to report that I had a picnic basket stolen from me,’” wrote one user.
CAUGHT ON TAPE: Bear Strolls Into California Highway Patrol Office https://t.co/2YCQvsMAj1
— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) November 25, 2018
Other users eschewed the Yogi Bear references when commenting on what the bear might have been thinking when it entered the police facility, with one user saying that the animal made a quick exit because vending machine prices have gone up as of late, and another suggesting that the bear was “going to turn himself in for dumpster diving,” only to have second thoughts after reading the jail menu.
Although the aforementioned bear sighting turned out to be a harmless incident, previous reports had sought to warn Californians about the risks these sightings could pose to humans. This was a significant concern just days before Memorial Day weekend this year, as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a statement to the San Diego Union-Tribune cautioning residents about the increase in reported “human-bear conflicts.”
“Each spring and summer we receive numerous calls from the public reporting anything from black bears eating food off campground picnic tables to bears taking dips in residential swimming pools,” CDFW Wildlife Conflict Programs coordinator Vicky Monroe told the San Diego Union-Tribune in May.
