A black bear in Colorado was found dead after becoming trapped for days inside a vehicle, where it apparently tried desperately to escape and left the car’s interior badly destroyed.
The bear, estimated at about 300 pounds, is believed to have been stuck inside the vehicle 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 car doors while searching for food. Once inside, however, they can become trapped if the door shuts behind them.
“Typically what happens is they pull the door open, get in, get their food and then they leave,” Sauder said. “But sometimes the door closes behind them, and they have trouble figuring out how to get out.”
The fatal incident comes during what wildlife officials say has been an unusually busy season for bear activity and human-bear conflicts across Colorado.
According to The Gazette, Colorado Parks and Wildlife received 6,129 reports of bear sightings and conflicts from Jan. 1 through Aug. 13, nearly twice the 3,115 reports logged over the same stretch last year.
That total has already exceeded the 5,299 bear-related reports recorded during all of 2025.
Wildlife officials say the surge is tied in part to poor natural food availability. Sauder told the newspaper that low snowpack and late-season freezes have diminished some of the foods bears normally depend on, forcing them to roam farther and take bigger risks as they search for enough calories.
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.
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.
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 Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
