A Colorado home-security camera caught a driver discovering a very unexpected visitor sitting in the passenger seat of his pickup truck.
As UPI reports, the situation with a bear cub was resolved without any head-to-head confrontation, although that doesn't mean there weren't twists and turns.
What happened?
At Justin Pickar's home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, his Nest camera recorded Andy Kerrigan walking up to his truck and finding a bear inside when he opened the passenger-side door, the footage posted by Live 5 News showed.
UPI reported that Kerrigan said the bear had "apparently climbed in through an open window." Instead of quickly leaving, the footage shows that the bear cub keeps rummaging through the cab.
After backing away and taking a photo of the bear cub, Kerrigan tries slapping the truck to get it to leave. Next, he opens the driver's door in a bid to encourage the bear to use it for escape.
That backfires, as the bear stuns Kerrigan, causing him to lose his footing and fall. Fortunately, the bear wasn't looking to attack; it was merely intrigued.
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Kerrigan regroups and finds a large plank of wood that finally does the trick of scaring off the bear cub. The footage indicates the truck escaped serious damage.
Why does it matter?
As unusual as the clip may seem, it reflects a very common human-caused issue. Bears often end up in neighborhoods, garages, cars, and trucks because they have learned these places may contain easy sources of food.
That can be from groceries, trash, coolers, food wrappers, or even lingering smells. In this case, an open vehicle window appears to have been all the invitation the animal needed.
These encounters can lead to property damage, injuries, and frightening situations close to home. Repeated access to human food can reinforce dangerous habits that are harder to break, increasing the likelihood of future conflict and, in some cases, leading wildlife officials to relocate or euthanize them.
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It is part of a broader pattern in places where human development overlaps with bear habitat and where unsecured food or vehicles make these interactions more likely. Closing windows, locking doors, and keeping food-related attractants out of vehicles can reduce the chances of these encounters.
What are people saying?
Commenters on Facebook reacted to Kerrigan's experience.
"I would be more worried about where mama bear is!!" a user shared.
"I hollered when he fell cause baby what is you doing," another revealed.
"Bet he closes the truck door next time instead of leaving it open lol," a viewer quipped.
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