Black bear destroys vehicle parked in Belcarra

Article content

Coquitlam RCMP have rescued a bear that got stuck inside a car parked in Belcarra.

Mounties got a call from the owner of the vehicle around 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

The bear was inside a Toyota Camry. The windows were closed and were dripping in condensation, which led officers to believe the bear might be in distress given the warm temperatures.

Police broke the back window, which allowed the bear to escape into a nearby wooded area.

Article content

Cpl. Alexa Hodgins of Coquitlam RCMP said the owner accidentally left the car unlocked and the bear managed to get in through the driver’s door.

“Officers located an actual bear paw print on the handle, so we’re confident the bear opened the car on its own.”

It is not known how long the bear was in the vehicle for. But in the showdown between the sedan and a claw-strophobic bear, there’s a clear winner.

“The entire interior of the vehicle was ripped apart — side panels, front dashboard, car seats, the middle console,” said Hodgins. “Everything inside the vehicle was damaged by the bear as it was trying to escape.”

The bear wasn’t a cub. One Mountie said it was one of the biggest bears they’ve seen.

“The bear was sitting in the front half of the car and its second half was in the back,” said Hodgins. “It wasn’t a comfortable fit.”

She said it’s rare for bears to go inside vehicles and home, but reminded people to makes sure the doors and windows of their home and vehicle are closed and not to leave food outside

chchan@postmedia.com

x.com/cherylchan

Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add VancouverSun.com and TheProvince.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.

You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber: For just $14 a month, you can get unlimited access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

Share this article in your social network