Man Finds Bear Eating His Lunch In His Truck & Shenanigans Ensue

If you live in Colorado, you may want to keep an eye on your lunch to prevent it from being snatched by a real-life Yogi Bear. A video making the rounds on social media shows garage-camera footage of handyman Andy Kerrigan's unexpected wildlife encounter.

Kerrigan opened the door of his truck and discovered, to his shock, a young black bear. "He was sitting shotgun eating my lunch," Kerrigan told the New York Times. Kerrigan leapt back in surprise before taking out his phone, snapping a few photos, then banging on the vehicle, hoping to scare away the hungry animal. The bear stayed put. Next, Kerrigan walked around to the other side of the truck. "He basically charged me and that's when I backed up and fell on my derrière," Kerrigan said. He picked himself up off the ground and, eventually, was able to prod the bear into leaving by nudging the animal with a piece of wood.

"The guy literally poked a bear 😮😂," observed one viewer, and another quipped, "Real men boop the snoot." One netizen joked, "This is why you NEVER give the spare key to your car to wildlife! 😂" Several people criticized Kerrigan for stopping to photograph the bear in his truck — especially given the fact that cubs often have fiercely protective mama bears nearby — with one person commenting, "We all know flight or fight but clearly there is a new one. Film."

If you stumble upon a wild bear, the most important thing is to keep your wits about you. Speak firmly but calmly to the bear, both to keep yourself calm and to make it clear that you are not a prey animal. Wave your arms in the air slowly, so that you look bigger, but don't make any sudden moves or loud noises, to avoid startling the animal. If you're in a group, stay together and scoop up any small children to carry. If the bear pursues you, don't try to run away — black bears can go as fast as 30 miles per hour, while grizzlies can go 40 — and don't climb a tree, as bears are excellent climbers. Instead, try to inch away sideways. If you come across a bear while walking your dog, follow the same steps but also shorten your dog's leash as much as possible and try to keep your dog calm.

Sometimes, when a bear ventures where it shouldn't go, an unexpected protector steps up to face the challenge. Take, for example, a tiny five-pound Pomeranian who shows no fear chasing a black bear out of his house. Perhaps the Pomeranian could get a side hustle scaring hungry bears out of trucks.

Want to see more entertaining videos of wildlife? Check out this neighborhood raccoon and possum who cherish their nightly snack time from a local resident, and this pair of snowy owls having a yap-off.