Moment Bear Steals Entire Cooler From Truck in Parking Lot Caught on Camera

When preparing for a day outside on the trail, you need to bring water, food, sunscreen, and, depending on where you are, possibly a bear deterrent—or at least be cautious about how you pack your vehicle.

A family on a hike captured an unbelievable moment in a parking lot at California’s Emerald Bay State Park and shared it to their Instagram account, @keepitrealwiththeruiz, on June 27. A bear was making its rounds through the parking lot as its nose caught the scent of something delicious.

Bears have an incredibly strong sense of smell, about seven times as strong as a bloodhound’s. Knowing something was nearby, the bear hopped onto the cars and sniffed out the one that piqued its interest.

The family kept a safe distance but filmed the entire encounter as the bear found a food cooler available for the taking in the back of someone’s truck. Without hesitation, the bear lifted the cooler with its mouth and took off with his treasure.

The caption reads: “Friendly reminder to not leave coolers on the bed of your truck.”

In a separate video, the Instagrammer commented that she thought it was “so cool to see so close by” and couldn’t believe her eyes.

However, she told Newsweek via Instagram that they did not stick around long enough to see the truck owner’s reaction.

Luckily, the bear didn’t rip down the doors and trash the truck, as other people have experienced before. Bears will stop at nothing to get their paws onto food. They’ve adapted to humans around them, learning to open car doors and bear-proof containers.

‘That’s Power’

The unbelievable encounter quickly grabbed attention, bringing in over 4.8 million views, 136,208 likes and 2,017 comments on Instagram as of Monday. Viewers were stunned at how it all unfolded.

“Omg!! Love how silly and curious bears can be when you’re viewing from a safe distance,” said one person.

“Imagine coming back from your hike and thinking some random person stole your Yeti cooler out of your truck,” one commenter wrote.

A third person commented: “Just take a moment to appreciate how that bear just carried off a loaded cooler with its mouth and didn’t freakin blink. That’s power.”

Others expressed concern that the person who left the cooler was breaking the law.

According to the California State Parks website, all food, beverages, and toiletries must be stored in provided food lockers during the day and night, as required by law. The exception is when food is being prepared or eaten.

This law is implemented because “black bears are currently very active in Emerald Bay.” No ice chests should be stored in vehicles. Violations will be cited.

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