A B.C. woman returned from a hike this week to find her SUV had been broken into – and the apparent culprit was not human.
Olena Domnina parked off the Ashlu Forest Service Road near Squamish Monday evening for a sunset hike on the Sigurd Trail, and when she returned she found her vehicle's window smashed in.
At first, she assumed it was a regular break-in – possibly a thief looking for valuables – but then she saw a large paw print on the door.
"My jaw just dropped. I was in disbelief," Domnina told CTV News. "I never thought it could be a bear!"
Domnina said she left a cooler with fruit, salad, eggs, veggies and butter inside the SUV when she took off on her hike. That was likely what attracted the bear, and by the time Domnina got back to her vehicle, the treasure trove of snacks was nowhere to be found.
"I opened the window and was like, where's my cooler? I was sure I put it in here," she said.
Unfortunately, the damage to her vehicle is not covered by her insurance.
Domnina, who is a very experienced hiker, said she'll be more careful in the future, and hopes her bear break-in will serve as a warning to other outdoors enthusiasts in the area. She said the RCMP told her there’s been a number of similar incident recently.
"It took my cooler but it could have been as simple as a personal hygiene product or anything left (behind)," she said.
