Hungry bear tears SUV to shreds — and video shows damage. ‘Your car is destroyed’
A hungry bear destroyed an SUV’s interior after it got trapped inside in Colorado, video shows.
“Caution: Local Bears May Redecorate Your Ride,” a title on a video shared to Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page reads.
“One of our deputies responded to a different kind of car break-in on Saturday morning in the foothills,” the agency said in the July 1 post. “A bear decided to hop inside someone’s vehicle, leaving behind a mess only a bear could appreciate.”
Set to silly background music, the video shows the deputy responding to the homeowner’s call for help.
“Oh, there’s a bear in there,” he says as he approaches the homeowner and a few vehicles parked in the dirt driveway. The bear then pushes against the interior of the SUV toward the officer outside.
“So here’s what we’re gonna do. I got a rope. So I’ll just tie it to the door handle. We’ll just pull it open and he can run out.”
That’s exactly what they do. The officer pulls the door open and the bear comes clambering out.
The deputy then claps his hands to scare the bear away from the area.
“Your car is destroyed,” the officer tells the homeowner as he films the SUV’s shredded interior. What looks like the side panel of the door has been torn off and now sits on the backseat. “Oh, gosh,” he then says with a chuckle as he takes a peek in the other side.
“Wow,” the owner says.
“Important to lock your cars and keep all food and stuff out,” the deputy tells them.
The bear was likely searching for food when it climbed inside the unlocked vehicle, then it couldn’t get back out, the agency said.
“Bears are good at breaking into vehicles, but not so good at getting out,” officials said. “This is a good reminder to keep your vehicles locked, even when at home. Also, bears can smell any snacks you may leave in your car, so don’t tempt them to turn your car into a bear buffet!”
Jefferson County is about a 30-mile drive southwest from Denver.
This story was originally published July 2, 2025 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Hungry bear tears SUV to shreds — and video shows damage. ‘Your car is destroyed’."
