Totaled Subaru Destroyed by Trapped Alaska Black Bear

When a Subaru Meets an Uninvited Guest in Juneau

Just after midnight on Monday, a large black bear broke into three different vehicles in Juneau, Alaska, before locking itself inside a resident’s Subaru and causing mass destruction, the NY Post reported. The animal’s late-night rampage left car owner Michael Wilson with a completely totaled interior and an expensive lesson in vehicle insurance coverage.

The bizarre sequence began when the four-legged intruder entered the unlocked blue Subaru. A neighbor heard the car’s horn blasting and spotted the beast trapped inside, prompting a call to local law enforcement. Responding officers woke Wilson to retrieve his keys, but the furry vandal had already torn out enough interior wiring that the doors refused to unlock electronically.

Police Use Rope to Free Trapped Bear

As officers assessed the trapped animal, the situation intensified. “He was fighting pretty good to get out of the other door,” Wilson told local station KTUU, describing the desperate efforts of the bear to escape the vehicle.

Srp layout black bear shreds car after getting locked — Photo: pulptastic.com

“He actually puts his paw on the window at one point before the officer opens the door,” witness Angela Harkins said.

Unable to use the keys due to the severe electrical damage, police officers resorted to using a rope to pry open the car’s door. After roughly five to 10 minutes of tense work, the door finally yielded, and the bear bolted away unharmed.

Counting the Cost of a Totaled Interior

While the bear escaped without a scratch, Wilson’s Subaru did not fare nearly as well.

Bear locks itself in Juneau Subaru, destroys interior before police free it

“The metal’s bent, all that plastic’s torn off, the chairs are torn off, the back seats are torn apart,” Wilson detailed of the aftermath. Despite the heavy damage, Wilson maintained his sense of humor about the build quality of his vehicle, quipping, “So I got to hand it to Subaru. They made a good car. [The bear] couldn’t get out.”

Scarce Food Sources Push Bears into Neighborhoods

The unusual break-in highlights a wider ecological pressure in the region. Wilson pointed out that bear activity in Juneau has been especially severe this season following a winter that brought more than 200 inches of snow, followed by a late spring that left natural food sources like berries and fish scarce. These conditions have pushed hungry wildlife closer to human neighborhoods and parked vehicles.

Left with a wrecked car and proof of local wildlife habits, Wilson offered a direct warning to his community. “Lock your doors,” Wilson pleaded. “Don’t leave any food, no candy.”