Depending on where you live, dealing with bears can be a real concern. Stories about bears getting into cars then ripping them apart are common with local news stations. Heck, bears have no problem ripping their way into tents and into some campers. Basically, if a bear is hungry enough and thinks there’s some food to be had, it might work its way into your car, tent, or camper.
Sometimes, you may run into a campground that doesn’t allow tents or tent-based campers because of bear activity. Today, I wrote about the Aliner hard-sided pop-up camper that touts the lack of canvas as a benefit. Among with better insulation and protection from strong storms, Aliner campers tout better security from wildlife than a pop-up tent camper. Sure, a bear could still rip through this camper, but it’ll have to try a little harder than slashing its way through the canvas of a typical pop-up camper.
Well, that’s when reader DarKhorse taught me something with just a simple sentence:
Oh my dear Mercedes, you ALWAYS have to worry about bears.
This video came attached to that comment:
Look, the first bear opening the car door was surprising enough, but the second bear opening another door just blew my mind. And it wasn’t like these bears were just clawing at the doors and they just happened to open. No, instead, they just opened the doors like one bear was going to drive the other to work. Oy vey!
This sent me down a rabbit hole, where I discovered that bears will absolutely get into whatever the heck they want. Here’s a bear breaking down a cabin’s door like it’s the FBI:
Here’s a bear breaking into a cop shop like a total badass:
Oh, and here’s a bear popping the door of a pickup truck and taking some poor driver’s snacks:
I’ve camped in bear country before, thinking that staying in a locked truck would keep me safe enough. Well, it looks like bears can do whatever the heck they want. I suppose the point here is that hot damn, bears are adorable, clever animals. I wonder, can we teach a bear how to drive?
“Here’s a bear breaking down a cabin’s door like it’s the FBI:”
FBI: Forest Bear Interlopers! Give us your food and we won’t sh*t! (Or maybe we will. We’re BEARS for goodness sake! We’ll sh*t wherever we want!)
Big . . . big . . . big
https://youtu.be/OBJ-MpPBDug
If you used beer as a reward you could definitely train a bear to drive. Not recommended, also don’t teach chimps to shoot.
Reminds me of the famous quote from a Yosemite park ranger on why it’s hard to design a bear-proof garbage can: “There is a considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists.”
Here’s a new advertising opportunity for Tesla and others who make flush-mounted door handles to tout: “Our door handles are bear-proof!”
Black bears are pretty well mannered in my experience.
https://www.tiktok.com/@kaitlynnesbit/video/6859442508125048069
These are kids from my highschool
I’m disappointed by the complete lack of mauling.
This saying has been attributed to a Yosemite National Park ranger (who seems to have remained anonymous so far) about why it’s difficult to engineer bear-proofing:
“There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists.”
I’m thinking maybe those bears had just been to the movies and were looking for some cocaine.
I remember watching one of those game warden tv shows and a bear had destroyed a Subaru, even taking a dump in it. The owner was saying he couldn’t believe it had happened for a second time, the warden told the guy essentially ‘ look last time I was here I told you to keep food out of the car and keep the doors locked’ he left out dumbass
A complete tangent here, but that white truck in the final video must be awful to drive. The suspension is either completely collapsed onto the stops, or it is setup EXTREMELY stiff. A ~500lb bear climbs on and the body doesn’t move at all. Am I missing something, is this normal?
I’m surprised they didn’t run off with the radio.
Looks like someone has not kept up with their Bear Patrol dues.
We’re not sharing the planet with bears. Bears are sharing the planet with us.
There used to be a video Yosemite would show people. Locked car doors aren’t stopping a bear, a much flimsier RV door aren’t either!
https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/images/beardamagetocar_2.jpg
Door locks are a great deterrent. I don’t understand how people leave their cars unlocked. Lock it up! Then the worst that can happen is a door handle gets ripped off.
Yeah, the alternative is they rip the interior apart and shit everywhere
lmao, no, if the bear is interested in something in there, they aren’t just gonna stop after the handle comes off.
Also: DON’T LEAVE FOOD AND FOOD WRAPPERS IN YOUR CAR!
Or, leave a video camera on so you can easily settle with your insurance company. (I doubt those bears have insurance, though, so you’re probably stuck with the bill.)
Was the front door bear polite enough to close the door when he was done? The jerk in the back left the door standing open.
The last line of the article just begs for this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBw7KE8wDSo
I made an account just to post that, and you beat me too it.
Glad someone posted that.
It all started in Jellystone Park.
They always get their pic-i-nic basket.
If I forget my keys in my car accidentally pressing the clutch and start button is not so difficult when your rummaging around looking for snacks. Add something like autopilot and it really could be fun
I love how, in the first BB&E (bear breaking and entering) you can see him stick out a paw to prevent the door from slamming shut again.
My dude has definitely done that before.
If that minivan was a Hyundai, those bears would have driven off in it.
Kia Boyz get put to shame by Hyundai Bearz.
Thanks for the shout out Mercedes! Bear spray is a necessity when camping in bear country, whether in a tent, truck, RV or cabin. It’s more effective than a gun except in the rare case of a really aggressive bear. I carry both when I’m camping in Colorado. My kids and I spent a very uncomfortable night one time with a large bear sniffing around our tent. Luckily, it didn’t decide to barge in.
Maybe Enviro-Bear 2000 was based on a true story?
Have you read Terry Bisson’s short story “Bears Discover Fire”?
Just don’t leave your fob or keys around.