World·Video

Colorado deputies free bear trapped inside a Subaru

A Colorado teen decided she wasn't going to work after discovering a bear had locked itself in her Subaru. Sheriff's deputies in Jefferson County, Colo., responded to the call about the bear stuck inside her car on Tuesday morning.

Sheriff's deputies pop the rear hatch to let the bear escape

Bear locks itself in car

8 years ago
Duration 1:27
Deputies in Colorado believe the animal was searching for food

A Colorado teen decided she wasn't going to work after discovering a bear had locked itself in her Subaru. 

Sheriff's deputies in Jefferson County, Colo., responded to the call about a bear stuck inside a car on Tuesday morning. 

The vehicle belonged to 17-year-old Annie Bruecker, who admitted she forgot to lock it the night before.

"My mom screamed from downstairs and I thought that I was in trouble," Bruecker told local Denver media. "She said, 'Annie, there's a bear in your car.'" 

Bruecker is still wondering how the bear managed to lock itself inside the vehicle. The windows weren't broken, but somehow the bear was able to crawl inside and close the door. Once inside, it trashed the interior while trying to escape.

In a video recorded by one of the deputies, the bear is seen clawing at the doors and windows while the deputy asks, "How'd you get in there, bear?"

Deputies decided the only way to let the bear out was to pop open the rear hatch. One of the deputies opened the hatch while another stood nearby with a shotgun. 

As soon as the hatch opened, the bear jumped out and scampered into the forest. 

Colorado deputies said bears often get into cars looking for food and are usually long gone by the time police respond to a call. Unfortunately for this bear, there was no food in Bruecker's Subaru. 

While there are no broken windows or exterior damage to the SUV, the interior of Bruecker's car appears unsalvageable. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Avneet Dhillon is a Producer with CBC News based in Toronto. You can reach her at: avneet.dhillon@cbc.ca