VANCOUVER -- A black bear caused some serious damage to the interior of a vehicle in Trail after it somehow managed to open the door and get trapped inside.
Mounties received a call just before 10 p.m. Monday night for a report of an adult black bear trapped inside a vehicle. When police arrived, they discovered the bear had managed to open the unlocked door, get inside, and become trapped as the door swung shut behind it.
A photo released by police shows debris strewn across the driver and passenger seats, a torn dashboard and a bent steering wheel. Mounties described the damage to the vehicle's interior as "considerable."
Once police were able to safely wedge the door open using a traffic cone, the bear exited the vehicle and left the area. Mounties spoke to the vehicle's owner who told them she had put her garbage in her trunk and was planning to put it out for pickup the next day.
"The RCMP strongly advise homeowners not to place garbage inside their vehicles as it is an attractant and to always lock their vehicle doors," Mounties said in a news release. "Locking your vehicle doors will also prevent theft from your vehicle by bears and people."
