STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — A Colorado man got the surprise of a lifetime when he opened the passenger door of his pickup truck and found a black bear already making itself at home in the front seat.
The bizarre incident, caught on a neighbor’s Nest security camera, unfolded recently in Steamboat Springs when contractor Andy Kerrigan approached his truck after putting away tools near the front of a home.
As Kerrigan swung open the passenger-side door, he flinched and jumped back, staring straight at a bear casually walking around on the seats and rooting through the cab, apparently hunting for food. The bear had climbed in through an open window.
Kerrigan quickly retreated to the front of the truck, snapping photos and banging on the hood in an attempt to scare the uninvited guest away. The bear, unfazed, kept rummaging inside.
Determined to evict the furry squatter, Kerrigan grabbed a long wooden plank from his truck and used it to slap and prod toward the bear from a safe distance. The tactic finally worked, the bear bolted out the driver’s side door and took off.
Kerrigan chased after it with the plank in hand until the animal fled the scene. No one was hurt, and the truck appeared to escape serious damage.
The video, shared widely online, has left viewers stunned and amused. Many joked online that the bear had “claimed squatter’s rights” or become the truck’s “new owner.”
Local news director Shannon Lukens used the incident to issue a blunt warning to residents: It’s “beyond crucial” to lock vehicle doors and roll up windows, especially with bears active in the area.
Bears are a regular presence in Steamboat Springs and across Colorado’s mountain communities. Experts say leaving windows down or food accessible turns vehicles into easy targets.
This latest wildlife run-in serves as a reminder that in bear country, even a quick trip to the truck can turn into an unforgettable encounter. The bear got the boot, but not before turning one man’s ordinary day into a story he’ll be telling for years.
