When Alex Carreles pulled into a Chevron station near Lake Tahoe, California, the last thing he expected to see was a giant, fuzzy behind sticking out of a trash can. But there it was — plump, furry, and wiggling.
Curious, Carreles walked closer and discovered the culprit: a young bear, completely engrossed in digging for snacks, with only his back end visible.
Laughing, Carreles debated whether he should poke the fluffy butt — all while filming the hilarious moment.
As it turned out, the bear wasn’t stuck at all. Follow-up footage shows him casually climbing into another trash can a little later, this time disappearing entirely inside.
An employee at the Chevron told The Dodo that the young bear has been visiting nightly, wandering in from the surrounding forest. While he hasn’t shown signs of aggression, his comfort around people is worrying — especially for a bear so young.
Wildlife advocates from the BEAR League were contacted right away.
According to BEAR League founder Ann Bryant, the bear is likely an orphan but old enough to survive on his own. Rather than removing him, Bryant and her team plan to use gentle hazing — clapping, shouting and making noise — to guide him away from populated areas and encourage him to return to the forest.
Yes, he’s cute. And yes, it’s tempting to feel sorry for him. But in the long run, Bryant says, learning to avoid humans is the best thing for his safety.
“There’s plenty of natural food for bears in the forest right now — pinecones, berries, all sorts of good stuff,” Bryant said. “If we can keep him from relying on trash cans, he should have no problem bulking up before hibernation. I’m optimistic he’ll be just fine.”
To learn more about the BEAR League — and how to coexist safely with wildlife — visit their website here.
