Black bear in B.C.'s Kootenays blamed for mangling car in attempted break-in
It was a rude awakening when Trail, B.C., resident Michael Allison saw a message from his roommate that his vehicle was mangled Tuesday morning.
When he went outside to inspect his car, there were pieces of shattered glass everywhere, a back door’s metal frame was bent, and there were scratch marks all throughout the vehicle.
“We both immediately came to the assumption that it must be the bear because we see it so often. And I mean, what else can just rip the door off like that?” Allison told CTV News. “There were very obvious bear prints right near where the door was shattered – and there was also some bear fur.”
He suspects it’s the neighbourhood black bear, which he sees about two to three times a week.
He said he didn’t leave any food or garbage inside the car, but believes some spilled coffee may have enticed the animal to target his vehicle.
“It generally avoids people. It just saw an opportunity to rip open a tin can and get some food,” Allison said.
Wildlife experts believe it is likely the bear has broken into vehicles in the past.
“Most often when bears break into things it's because they've done so successfully in the past and received a food award of some sort,” said Vanessa Ignardy with WildsafeBC.
Ignardy said when black bears come out of hibernation, they typically seek lush green spaces to feast on dandelions.
“Instead of going to those natural food sources, they may direct their attention to other areas they've had success in the past, which is really unfortunate,” she said.
In nearby Rossland, there were several vehicles damaged by bears around this time last year.
Ona Stanton caught a bear red handed in a truck because the door had closed on the animal, trapping it inside.
“We couldn't quite figure out what the noise was and we stood there for a minute, and our truck was shaking in our driveway,” she said, recalling being woken up around 3:30 a.m. last April.
She called 911 and police officers arrived at the home to provide assistance.
The bear eventually escaped to safety, but not before leaving a big mess behind: shredded car seats, exposed wiring and torn up plastic in the truck’s interior.
“I guess the best thing about retelling a story is that hopefully it saves somebody else from having their vehicle destroyed,” she said.
Ignardy reminded residents and those heading out to bear country to lock doors and remove all attractants.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.