Bear's stinky sojourn in vehicle takes away that new car smell

A black bear has been filmed opening car doors, apparently looking for food in the Tseshaht First Nation near Port Alberni on Vancouver Island.

The bear, caught on surveillance tape, is seen opening the car door of a vehicle with its mouth.

Lisa Watts, a band member, says the bear got into a number of cars in her neighbourhood last Friday including her own.

Watts said she was alerted to the situation after her sons came home and saw her car with three doors splayed open.

The next day, she examinedthe vehicle and saw paw prints all over the front passenger seat and the back seat.

"There's like little bear paws I'll call them little, but they're not and a whole bunch of bear stench," Watts said. "A horrible stench."

Watch the bear opening the car door:

A bear opens a car door in Port Alberni

5 years ago

Duration 0:36

A conservation officer is reminding people to lock their car doors after a bear was filmed opening a car door.

Watts said the only itemsin her brand new carwerea box of Cheezies from Costco that she had bought to distribute onHalloween, and a container of Huggies baby wipes.

"And that crazy bear, when he went into my car, that's what he took, the Huggies wipes," she said.

"It's my beautiful 2019 Santa Fe Hyundai and it's got less than 10,000 kilometreson it. It had a beautiful new car smell, [but] no longer."

Since Friday, Watts says she's been trying desperately to get rid of the bear stench in her car, spraying it with a skunk odour remover from the pet store, which didn't work,and taking it to the local car wash for a deep clean.

Daniel Eichstadter, a conservation officer in Port Alberni saidhis team receiveda complaint of a bear rummaging through multiple cars, addingthe team will holda community discussion and conducts patrolsin the area.

His advice to residents:lock their car doors;clean thecar's insides;and make sure there's no food left inside.

Despite the stink, Watts said she has no hard feelings for the bear,which has been spotted around the neighbourhood.

"He's the sweetest little bear," she said. "It's pretty hard to stay mad at him when he looks so cute."

Listen to the interview on All Points West: