Colorado black bear dies after becoming trapped inside unlocked car for days: report

A black bear in Colorado spent days trapped inside a vehicle, tried to escape and destroyed the car’s interior in the process before being found dead.

The roughly 300-pound bear was likely trapped inside the car for days before it was discovered in Colorado Springs, The Denver Gazette reported.

A Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) wildlife officer told The Gazette bears are smart and dexterous enough to open unlocked car doors while searching for food, but can struggle to escape if a door closes behind them, Travis Sauder said.

“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.”

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The deadly encounter comes as Colorado experiences an unusually active year for bear sightings and conflicts.

CPW received 6,129 reports of bear sightings and conflicts between Jan. 1 and Aug. 13, nearly double the 3,115 recorded during the same period last year, according to The Gazette.

The number has already surpassed the 5,299 reports recorded during 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.

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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.

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CPW did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.