MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Manitou Springs police are reminding residents about taking safety precautions around bears after an incident Wednesday where a bear was trapped in a vehicle.
Manitou Springs police said officers and crews from the Manitou Springs Fire Department were called to a local residence to attempt to remove a bear that was trapped inside a vehicle.
Police said nobody was injured during the incident, however the vehicle sustained “significant damage” as the bear attempted to free itself.
Aftermath of the vehicle after the bear was removed from the vehicle.(Manitou Springs Police Department)
Police said bears are “strong and unpredictable,” especially when food is involved or when they feel trapped and threatened.
Bears possess a huge sense of smell, estimated to be more than 2,100 times stronger than a human’s, police said.
Even small amounts of food, wrappers, beverages, pet food, coolers or other scented items left inside a vehicle can attract a bear, police said.
Police recommends people to take the following measures to reduce the chances of attracting bears to their home or even their vehicle:
Remove all food, drinks, trash, coolers, pet food and scented items from your vehicle.Fully secure your vehicle by locking all doors and completely closing all windows.Never intentionally feed wildlife or leave attractants where bears can access them.
When bears can associate neighborhoods and vehicles with food, it creates dangerous situations for both people and wildlife, police said. Taking these steps to secure your home and vehicle can help prevent costly damage, reduce human-bear conflicts and “keep bears behaving like bears.”
You can learn more about how to be “bear-aware” by clicking the link here.
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