A black bear in Colorado was found dead after apparently spending days stuck inside a vehicle, where it tore apart the interior while trying to break free.
The bear, estimated to weigh about 300 pounds, had likely been trapped in the car for several days before it was discovered in Colorado Springs, The Denver Gazette reported.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer Travis Sauder told The Gazette that bears are intelligent and nimble enough to open unlocked vehicle doors while searching for food, but escaping can become difficult if the door swings shut behind them.
“Typically what happens is they pull the door open, get in, get their food and then they leave,” he said. “But sometimes the door closes behind them, and they have trouble figuring out how to get out.”
The black bear is seen trapped inside a vehicle in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
The fatal incident comes during a particularly busy year for bear activity across Colorado, where wildlife officials have reported a sharp rise in sightings and human-bear conflicts.
From Jan. 1 through Aug. 13, Colorado Parks and Wildlife received 6,129 reports involving bear sightings and conflicts, according to The Gazette — nearly twice the 3,115 reports logged during the same period last year.
That total has already exceeded the 5,299 reports recorded across all of 2025.
Wildlife officials have linked the increase in encounters to poor natural food conditions. Low snowpack and late freezes have reduced some of the food sources bears typically rely on, pushing the animals to travel farther and take greater risks in search of calories, Sauder told the newspaper.
The timing adds to the concern as bears enter hyperphagia, the period when they consume large amounts of food and water to build fat reserves ahead of winter.
The interior of a vehicle is heavily damaged after a black bear became trapped inside in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
CPW advises people living in bear country to eliminate potential food sources and other attractants that can bring bears close to homes, campsites and vehicles.
Food, trash and scented items can draw bears searching for an easy meal. CPW advises keeping vehicles clean and removing anything that could attract a bear, including food and other scented products.
“Treat your vehicle the way you would a campsite by removing any attractants,” Sauder told The Gazette. “Whether it’s pet food, a kid’s snack or even flavored bubble gum, get it out of your vehicle.”
CPW also warns against intentionally feeding bears. Bears that become accustomed to food provided by people can lose their natural fear of humans, increasing the risk of conflicts.
A vehicle’s interior was left heavily damaged after a black bear became trapped inside in Colorado Springs. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
This year is on pace to produce the highest number of reported bear-human interactions since CPW began digitally tracking them in 2019, according to The Gazette.
CPW did not immediately respond to News Outlet’s request for comment.
