Hungry bears tear through B.C. cars with garbage, food left inside: photos

B.C. conservation officers shared photos of damage done to vehicles by hungry bears. (BCCOS/Twitter)

Conservation officers are warning B.C. residents and visitors to keep animal attractants out of their cars, saying they're "no match" for hungry bears.

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service posted a series of photos Tuesday, warning drivers of the risks of leaving food in their car.

If bears are "determined," the BCCOS said, they'll find a way to get inside.

"We've received several reports of bears breaking into cars," the BCCOS said. "Your car can be torn apart."

The pictures shared by the agency show parts of car doors ripped off and door frames bent.

The BCCOS confirmed with CTV News Vancouver it's received about a dozen calls in the last six weeks about a bear breaking into cars in the Tofino and Ucluelet areas.

"One incident involved a bear breaking into a car for empty food wrappers," the BCCOS said in an emailed statement.

Conservation officers think just one bear is involved and while a trap has been set and moved, the bear hasn't gone into it yet.

"Bears are incredibly smart and know to use door handles," the BCCOS said. "They are also incredibly strong and can destroy a car if they are trapped inside." 

Earlier this year, a black bear mangled a car in Trail, breaking the vehicle's windows, bending the door frame and leaving scratch marks. 

And last spring, two bears broke into a car in Coquitlam, ripping up the seats to get to some crumbs underneath. 

Conservation officers urge residents to secure attractants like garbage, pet food and birdseed, both at home and in vehicles.