Video captured a man’s run-in with a family of bears Thursday in Sierra Madre.
The man was sitting in his car with his St. Patrick’s Day corned beef meal in his lap near Mountain Trail and Churchill Road when he saw the bears approach.
The video shows one of the hungry bears come up to the car and open the door — twice.
The man had quick reflexes, promptly closing his car door both times and keeping himself and his dog safe.
Another video shows the three bears climbing a tree outside the house and hanging around near a deer lawn ornament.
It’s not unheard of for bears to be able to open doors.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation warns that bears can open vehicle doors and may cause damage trying to gain entry if they sniff something inside.
Bears can also pry open home doors, windows and dumpsters.
The state’s wildlife department shared these tips for bear-proofing your home:
- Do not toss food scraps out into the yard
- Use bear-proof garbage cans and keep them clean
- Wait to put trash out until the morning of collection day
- Do not leave trash, groceries or pet food in your car
- Keep barbecue grills clean and stored in a garage or shed
- Do not leave any scented products outside, including items such as suntan lotion, insect repellent, soap or candles.
- Keep doors and windows closed and locked when you’re not home
- Securely block access to potential hibernation sites like crawl spaces under decks
- Do not feed deer or other wildlife because it will attract bears to your home
- Pick fruit off your trees as soon as they’re ripe