Cops Devise A Clever Plan To Free Enormous Intruder Trapped In Car

The other day, a curious bear found himself in a bit of a bind. Somehow, he’d managed to gain access to a car parked outside a home near Lake Tahoe, only to wind up getting trapped inside.

When deputies from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) arrived on the scene to assist, they found themselves facing a dilemma, too — how to get the bear out while also keeping a safe distance.

“You never know what a call may bring,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

Fortunately, they soon hatched a clever plan.

Rather than use their hands to swing open the car door and hightail it away from the exiting bear, the deputies instead grabbed a rope.

Then, with the trapped bear mere inches away behind the car’s thin glass, the deputies tied the rope around the rear door’s handle.

After that, they retreated behind a tree — and this is what happened next:

"WCSO deputies coordinated a plan and were able to safely free the trapped bear!" the sheriff's office wrote.

With that, the deputies were fine and the bear was, too. But the car he'd been inside of? Not so much.

It's unclear exactly what may have lured the bear inside of the vehicle in the first place, but authorities say the scent from a potential snack inside is often the likely target.

That's a lesson the car's owner most surely won't forget.

"Here are some tips to help prevent unwelcome bear visits," the sheriff's office wrote. "Be mindful of food wrappers, coolers and scented items in vehicles. Avoid leaving food in cars. Don’t leave garbage outside, and dispose of trash inside (not next to) bear-proof designated receptacles. Do not feed the bears! Help keep our wildlife wild for your protection and theirs."