A camping trip in Minnesota turned fur-ocious when a man woke up to find that raccoons had tried to chew their way into the rear vault of his Tesla Cybertruck.
Here's what to know
The owner awoke to damage around the rear storage section and shared the experience on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum. Supercar Blondie reported that the animals did not get into the storage space but that they did chew up an exterior trim piece and leave the truck smeared with mud.
Users reacted with a mix of humor and caution. Because the truck has often been compared to a dumpster, the raccoon damage gave that running joke new meaning.
"Lesson learned where NOT to store food while camping," one commenter wrote. "Glad it wasn't a bear. Damage would have been worse."
Another commenter joked about the Cybertruck's marketing of being bulletproof and semi-waterproof while failing to cover protection against hungry raccoons.
Supercar Blondie noted that even Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard has compared the vehicle to a dumpster and that at least one Cybertruck owner has leaned into the bit with a full dumpster-style wrap.
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More background
Raccoons are well known for navigating spaces built by people, especially when trash or food teaches them that human-made objects can lead to an easy meal.
The Cybertruck damage also reflects how animals adapt to human environments and cues, even in the woods.
The electric truck has been a contentious topic since its designs were released. Supporters have praised it as a bold pickup, while critics have ridiculed both its styling and its practicality, so the forum post landed inside an argument that was already familiar.
Conflicts between animals and vehicles are hardly rare. Rodents, especially, have created expensive problems for car owners before.
What can be done?
Campers can reduce the chances of animal encounters by being mindful of the human habits that attract raccoons and other wildlife, including easy access to unsecured trash and food around vehicles.
When animals associate humans and their gear with a meal, the result can be costly for people and risky for wildlife too.
Even when animals cannot get inside, they can still cause unwanted and potentially dangerous interactions as well as expensive damage. In this case, the Cybertruck's vault protected the gear inside, but the trim was still chewed up badly enough to need attention.
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