Lack of keys prevents bear from driving off
By Barbara Barte Osborn, Sacramento Bee
It’s not unusual for bears – especially juveniles – to wreak havoc at winter’s end in Truckee, but it is surprising to see one at the wheel of a pickup.
According to the Truckee Police Department, a young bear entered the cab of the unlocked truck Wednesday evening and was unable to get out when the door closed behind it.
This bear forgot to get the keys. Photo/Truckee Police
Police officers arrived at the home on St. Bernard Drive in the Tahoe Donner subdivision and quickly released the frightened bear.
There was significant damage to the interior of the truck, authorities said.
Bear scat was also left inside. Police are encouraging residents and visitors to lock their vehicles and not keep any food or other scented items that could attract hungry bears to their cars.
I’m an excellent driver.
We need a ‘like’ button for comments. I’d have clicked it for that one!
I guess those people won’t leave any food in their car any more when they are in bear country.
Same thing happened to a neighbor of mine a couple of years ago here in Christmas Valley. Young bear got into her car and could not get out. The bear totally destroyed the interior of the car. Seats torn down to the springs, dashboard destroyed, steering wheel bitten in half…you get the picture. The neighbor got brave and opened the door and ran like the wind back to her porch. The bear took off into the night. Insurance totaled the car.
Another neighbor had the window of his van torn out by a bear looking for the half of a candy bar left on the front seat. Luckily it was only the window.
As mentioned, do not leave ANY food items in your car. Not even dog food. Bears are great opportunists and they are not too picky about their diet.
Some Tahoe bears have actually mastered the technique of opening unlocked car doors. Some years back while working a summer job at CA State Parks one of my dorm mates thought someone went through his car and stole his iPod (which turned out to be in his bedroom somewhere)as the driver door was open and the backseat to the trunk was down. After careful inspection of his car, I noticed saliva on all the door handles. The driver side door happened to be unlocked, so the culprit (a.k.a. the big black bear living in the Park)entered the car and checked the trunk for food; nothing good in that car so he left with no damage done.
Needless to say, everyone started paying better attention to what they left in their vehicles and started locking the doors.
Campground bears even know what food coolers are for and will break into vehicles even if the coolers are empty and no presence of food scents is present. So, keep coolers locked in vehicles covered up!