Bear tired of dumpster diving decides to take a ride on a garbage truck
With a surprisingly straight face, a TV anchor for WNEP News in Pennsylvania showed morning audiences photos of a bear riding on top of a garbage truck.
Apparently, bear sightings have been increasing across the state as the animals go in search of food – which is, of course, a less funny state of affairs.
2020 hasn’t been a good year for anyone
With bears pushing into populated areas as far as Philadelphia, it’s clear that everything and everyone is suffering this year.
And we can only assume the black bear decided he had simply had enough. Whether he was not content with the dumpster contents or simply realized that the larger buffet might be in the truck, he ended up on top of the vehicle.
Then he rode it down the highway all the way to the police station.
To be fair, he didn’t have much of a choice once the vehicle started moving.
When Kidder Township Police posted the eye-popping photos on their Facebook page on September 30, they quickly went viral.
Kidder Township is in beautiful Carbon County in eastern Pennsylvania – and there have been near-daily bear sightings by residents lately.
Turning himself in
The bear was let off with a warning, it seems.
“We can only assume it was sick of going for the small, small amount of trash in the garbage pails and went for the big prize,” Officer Vincent Murrow said.
One commenter insisted she had “the scoop” and that the driver told her that the bear was in the garbage bin when the truck lifted it. But that hasn’t been corroborated.
Unfortunately, the garbage truck appeared to be sealed on top, so he didn’t get anything but a scare the whole way there.
But police were not about to take him in for questioning once he arrived.
“He did make it down safe. The truck backed to the tree and he made his way down. All is good!” they explained in a Facebook comment.
There’s no word on whether he was allowed to mosey along on his way (we doubt it) or was turned over to animal control for relocation.
Beware the bears
Katherine Uhler of the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center told WNEP News that September/October is a common time to see bears out and about foraging for food since it’s right before their hibernation season. That means they have to pack on the pounds that keep them alive during winter.
“Each bear is eating about 20,000 calories a day, which is about ten times more than you or I eat. So they are moving around a lot, and they are very hungry,” Uhler said.
But the COVID-19 pandemic is also contributing to the number of bear sightings.
“Part of it is because of Covid. People are outside a lot, and that moves bears around, so there are a lot of bear sightings,” Uhler said.
And while the photo may look funny, there’s nothing funny about encountering a bear. That’s a moment to back away and get yourself to safety.
Be bear aware
Humans can do their part to keep themselves and wildlife safe when it comes to private property.
Experts suggest, for example, that when it comes to trash, you should only put your bin out on trash day and always keep it covered (or the lid closed).
If you spot a bear near your trash, ignore it if you can and call animal control for advice if you feel that it poses a threat.
They are more likely to wander away peacefully as long as they’re not provoked.
And, hopefully, it goes without saying that getting out of the situation safely is more important than getting a photo of a close encounter.
Be sure to scroll down below to see the news story on this wild adventure.
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Source: YouTube – WNEP-TV, Facebook – Kidder Township Police, Philly Voice