BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) – A family in Botetourt County woke up to a nasty surprise Wednesday morning.
Tina Hughes got a text from her husband: “OMG…Natalie’s car is trashed.”
The back seats, front seats, and even the inside roof were shredded. Hughes and her neighbors think they know who the culprit is — a bear her next-door neighbor caught on camera.
(Photo Courtesy: Michelle Cook)
Because it was an older car, Hughes says they only had liability coverage, which doesn’t cover suspected bear attacks.
“We double-checked with my daughter, we were like did you leave any food in the car last night, drinks or whatever, something that the bear could have been attracted to? And she was like no, I didn’t leave any food in the car,” said Hughes. “So the only thing is maybe she smelled like the restaurant.”
The National Parks Service says even wrappers and crumbs can be enough to draw bears. Hughes says her family has definitely learned a lesson: always lock your car.
Whether you’re in Botetourt County or Roanoke City, bears can be a problem. George Noleff, with WFXR’s Outdoors Bound, says it’s not just about locking up your food. Virginians should know what to do if they see a bear too.
“The best thing you can do is stay calm, move slowly, back away, talk to the bear, make yourself look big. You should be safe with that,” he said.
For information on bear safety, including what to do if you see a bear and how to avoid bear encounters, visit the National Park Service website.