Bear breaks into SUV, family captures unforgettable encounter
By Jerry Olenyn
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FOREST RANCH, California (KHSL) — A Butte County family received the surprise of a lifetime last week when a bear broke into their SUV in the middle of the night — all in search of a snack.
Amanda Wells was jolted awake around 11:30 p.m. Thursday by the sound of a car horn outside their home in Forest Ranch. What the family discovered was both surreal and alarming: a bear had somehow opened the door to their 2010 Subaru Forester and gotten inside.
Video taken from inside the Wells’ home shows the bear rummaging inside the fogged-up vehicle, apparently drawn in by the scent of an empty box of Goldfish crackers. Amanda recalled watching in disbelief as the animal used its paw to open the SUV door.
“I was pretty sure there’s a bear in my car right now,” she told her husband. Geno went outside and confirmed the situation.
Despite the damage the bear caused as it tried to escape, Amanda said their concern quickly shifted to the animal itself.
“I wasn’t frightened because we were inside,” she said. “I was more worried about the bear — he looked exhausted and overheated. We were afraid he might die in there.”
After nearly an hour with no sign the bear would free itself, Geno took action. From about 50 feet away, he fired a pellet gun at the vehicle’s window. His aim was true. The window broke, and the bear crawled out and safely retreated into the woods.
But the damage to the SUV was severe — and, unfortunately for the Wells family, not covered by insurance.
“Unfortunately, we missed our insurance payment, and it was canceled just before this happened,” Amanda said.
The family has since received an outpouring of community support. A GoFundMe campaign to help replace the damaged SUV has raised more than $2,300 — just shy of its $3,000 goal.
What could have been a dangerous encounter ended safely, and left the Wells family with an unforgettable story — and a reminder to never underestimate the curiosity of a hungry bear.
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