VIDEO: “Holy cow, there’s a bear in our car!” And the car doesn’t come out of it well

Brown bear walking on road in front of cars
(Image credit: Westend61)

When the Edens family left their minivan at a campsite on Bass Lake in California this week, they returned to discover a trapped bear trashing the vehicle… and using it as a public convenience.

Irik Edens, who was on a trip with his wife to celebrate their (unlucky) 13th wedding anniversary with their kids, told a local news channel: “I noticed there was something moving in the car. I was like, ‘Wait a minute, all the kids are down there. Who’s in the car?’ Then I see the silhouette of the bear in the back window and, like, ‘Holy cow! There’s a bear in our car!’”

It appears the bear had opened the car door to chow down on the syrup that the family was going to use on some pancakes, and somehow managed to lock itself inside the vehicle. So what’s a bear to do, other than trash the place, and do a poo and a wee for good measure?

VIDEO: Bear break-in disrupts 13th wedding anniversary campout - YouTube VIDEO: Bear break-in disrupts 13th wedding anniversary campout - YouTube
Watch On

The bear apparently wasn’t in the car for long but managed to create a lot of damage in a very short time.

Eventually, a California Highway Patrol officer busted the van’s front window so the bear could escape.

Not that the Edens could use the vehicle any more. “It stinks in there!” said Irik. Instead they hired a car to get home and presumably had a very amusing phone conversation with their insurance company.

Bears are well known for being able to open car doors, so if you’re in bear territory – even if you’re not venturing far from your vehicle – it’s best to lock your doors. Also, store food in a bear locker or other bear-proof container, and make sure to carry bear spray and a bear horn. See also: What to do if you meet a bear: our safety guide.

CATEGORIES
Read more
Grizzly bears in snow
Bears are waking up at Yellowstone National Park - here’s how to stay safe
Ibex on Cingino Dam
Animals that aren’t where they’re supposed to be – and some that should be there but aren’t
Littering sign
National park urges public to avoid bringing banned items - some of them may surprise you
Montane Trailblazer XT25L Backpack: back system
Lost teenager abandons a backpack full of survival gear in a Utah canyon – a month later, it saves 2 hikers' lives
Forest wildfire
"We started to hear the fire crackle right behind us" – video shows terrified hikers fleeing from LA wildfires
Person in cowboy boots hiking with pet pig on a harness
"I dropped to my knees, I was crying, she ran to me" - emotional owner reunited with pet pig stolen while they were out hiking
Latest in Camping
A man opens his REI Co-op Traverse Modular Bear Canister at his desert campsite
Bears are active, and this new Modular Bear Canister from REI is brilliant for backpackers – you just have to be smarter than Smokey to open it
Yeti Tundra deals image
The spacious Yeti Tundra Haul wheeled cooler is a "powerhouse" that keeps drinks chilled and bears at bay – it's a rare $85 off
A woman holding the Katadyn BeFree AC 1.0 L Water Filter Bottle
This innovative soft bottle uses activated carbon to source clean drinking water in the wild, and might have us ditching our Lifestraw
MSR Habitude 6
Get set for your first camp of the season with more than $200 off this wilderness-ready, family-size MSR tent
Camping
Just in time for spring! Pitch up with Nemo's new range of tents, sleeping bags and more
Camping deals image
With the camping season fast approaching, you can save hundreds on top-of-the-range tents in this mega GO Outdoors sale
Latest in News
Kamikochi, Chubu Sangaku National Park in Nagano
"Don't overestimate your ability" - Experts warn hikers and skiers flocking to the Japanese Alps after record rescues
Sandstone formations in Fiery Furnace, Arches National Park, Utah
The latest casualty of the National Parks' staffing upheaval is one of the country's most revered hiking trails
A man opens his REI Co-op Traverse Modular Bear Canister at his desert campsite
Bears are active, and this new Modular Bear Canister from REI is brilliant for backpackers – you just have to be smarter than Smokey to open it
Cuillin Ridge
Miracle escape for hiker who "fell like a rag doll" down a mountain in Scotland
66°North jacket
Explorer Chris Burkard teams up with 66°North to launch outdoor gear inspired by his photography
Climbing ropes on Mamores Range in the Scottish Highlands
"He lives on in the lives of the people he saved and those he coached and mentored" – climbers pay tribute to mountain rescue legend