This bold burglar had no intention of leaving the scene empty-pawed.
A black bear turned a Colorado firehouse into the setting for an unexpected late-night theft, strolling inside and walking away with a duffle bag packed with gear, according to footage captured on surveillance cameras.
Video of the incident shows the shaggy suspect approaching the station, grabbing the bag and disappearing into the darkness with the stolen haul clenched in its mouth.
“Smokey the Bear (or who we assume is smokey) walked into the bay at Station 16, grabbed our gear, peaced out real quick, and said ‘thanks, I’ll take it from here,’” the Colorado Springs Fire Department joked Monday in a Facebook post.
The department then struck a more serious note, saying officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, or CPW, often describe black bears as a “stomach with a nose” as they search relentlessly for calories before winter arrives.
Colorado appears to be heading toward a record year for bear sightings and bear-related conflicts, as worsening drought conditions reduce the natural food sources the animals depend on, 9News reported.
From Jan. 1 through Aug. 13, CPW logged 6,129 reports involving bear sightings and conflicts across the state — nearly twice the number reported during the same stretch last year.
To help avoid run-ins with hungry wildlife, the fire department urged residents to secure food and garbage, remove bird feeders, keep pet food indoors, clean grills thoroughly and put trash out only on scheduled collection days.
“If you encounter a bear, make loud noises to scare them off to make any encounter with humans uncomfortable for them,” the fire department said.
“Depending on human food sources is unsafe and puts bears and people at risk.”
