Photo shows bear ‘behind the wheel’ of truck in Colorado. Then the chaos began

The sight of a bear behind the wheel of a truck may seem funny, but the damage probably wasn’t funny to the truck’s owner.

A bear broke into a truck in South Park, Colorado, on Tuesday and trashed the interior. It caused “extensive damage,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said.

A bear got into a truck in #SouthPark on Tuesday & caused extensive damage. Follow a couple of simple steps to prevent bears from getting into cars.

remove anything with a scent from your vehicle.
make sure to always keep your car doors locked.https://t.co/9ZGhk8AJ6J pic.twitter.com/pQLveVXqr6

— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) September 21, 2021

“This is NOT what you want to see behind the wheel,” wildlife officials said on Twitter. “Wait until you see what it did to the truck trying to find the exit.”

Before it could escape, the bear tore apart the interior. Photos show a mess of foam and cables inside the truck. The bear also detached the mirror and ripped apart the seats and ceiling, photos show.

A bear got into a truck in South Park, Colorado, and caused “extensive damage,” wildlife officials said.

A wildlife officer had to open the door for the bear to get out of the truck.

“Bears are very intelligent animals and can open car doors as easily as a human can,” officials said. “However, they often get trapped inside after the door closes behind them.”

Bears’ noses are “100 times more sensitive” than humans, and they can smell food up to five miles away, Parks and Wildlife said on its website. They can also seek out trash that smells like food or scented products, such as air fresheners, wipes or perfume.

Another shot of the bear exiting the cab of the truck after our wildlife officer opened the door for it.

Bears are very intelligent animals and can open car doors as easily as a human can. However, they often get trapped inside after the door closes behind them. https://t.co/bn95ilejjz pic.twitter.com/nwd1EfbcQH

— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) September 21, 2021

Bears are smart animals and will come back to a location where they’ve found food.

Parks and Wildlife said people in bear country should always lock their windows and doors, both at home and in their cars.

“This is for your safety and for the lives of these amazing and resourceful creatures,” wildlife officials said.

In Colorado, bears getting into cars can be fairly common. Bears broke into cars 484 times from 2019 to 2020, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

In August, a bear broke into at least eight cars in Estes Park while looking for food.



A bear also broke into a car near Colorado Springs in October and demolished the inside. The car doors were annihilated as the bear ripped through the car, photos showed.

“What happens when a bear enters your car because something inside smells tasty and manages to get trapped inside? This happens,” CPW said. “A trapped bear, desperate to escape, is a potentially dangerous situation.”