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Black bear
No state boasts a bigger population of bears than Alaska, and most people who live there take precautions to avoid any incidents. Unfortunately, one family in Juneau may need a new car after being greeted by a mangled mess due to what unfolded when one of those mammals made its way into their vehicle.
Alaska firmly takes the gold medal when it comes to the places in America that are home to the highest number of bears. It’s the only state with a six-figure population, as there are an estimated 100,000 black bears in addition to approximately 30,000 brown bears (a.k.a. grizzlies) that roam its largely unpopulated lands.
The second species theoretically poses the biggest threat due to their comparatively aggressive nature, but black bears can also cause plenty of trouble. That’s especially true during this time of the year, as bears across the state are doing everything in their power to bulk up during the hyperphagia phase that precedes their imminent hibernation period.
That includes one that broke into multiple cars in Alaska’s capital on Monday and left one family dealing with a major headache after causing some impressive damage.
A black bear ripped the interior of an Alaskan family’s car to shreds after getting stuck inside the vehicle
Alaska has been the site of a number of bear-related incidents that made headlines this year, including multiple situations where one of those animals made its way inside a building located on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.
However, our most recent entry to the log transpired in its other major city, as Alaska News Source reports police were dispatched to a home in Juneau around 12:30 AM on Monday morning after receiving a call about a bear that was trapped in a car.
The vehicle in question was a Subaru owned by Michael and Mistee Wilson, the latter of whom posted a video that showed police using a rope to yank open the door before the black bear was stuck inside made its way out.
KTUU captured footage of the aftermath, and the bear managed to do some serious damage during the approximately 10 minutes it spent trapped inside (Wilson also shared a picture of a sizable pile of poop it left behind as a parting gift).
Michael complimented the engineer who designed the car, saying:
“So I got to hand it to Subaru. They made a good car. It couldn’t get out.
“He was fighting pretty good to get out of the other door, the metal’s bent, all that plastic’s torn off, the chairs are torn off, the back seats are torn apart.”
He also noted the failure to lock the door will end up being an expensive one, as the family opted for liability insurance as opposed to comprehensive coverage that would have covered repairs (or, in this case, what would probably have been a replacement).
That’s certainly a pricey lesson to learn the hard way.