Tennessee seems to deliver viral bear videos every year, and this spring is already off to a wild start.
Gatlinburg has seen no shortage of unforgettable bear moments lately. One bear was recently spotted nursing four cubs as they made happy little purring sounds like a chorus of kittens. But another curious black bear may have just stolen the spotlight after breaking into an SUV and leaving with a very unexpected souvenir.
Madison, who posts on social media as @madog.27, shared the priceless video of the bear climbing into an SUV as stunned onlookers watched nearby.
At first, people seemed shocked just to see the bear casually helping itself to the vehicle. But then the animal emerged with what appeared to be a crate of beer, and the crowd completely lost it.
The bear looked calm, confident and very focused on the mission.
This was not a nervous animal startled by people or a car alarm. This bear seemed to know exactly what it wanted and had no problem going after it.
In the clip, the bear climbs into the SUV as if it owns the place. Moments later, it comes back out with the beer, creating the kind of scene that feels almost too funny to be real.
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For Madison, it may mean another trip to the store. But it also gave her a once-in-a-lifetime video that people online could not stop watching.
Commenters immediately started joking about the bear’s bold choice.
“Sam Adams has a great opportunity to donate to wildlife conservation, protecting bear habitats, and use this clip,” one person wrote.
Honestly, they may have a point. The video could easily pass for one of the funniest beer commercials ever, especially if it helped raise money for wildlife protection.
Other viewers noticed the same thing many people were thinking: this bear looked a little too comfortable.
If you ask the internet, this may not have been the bear’s first car break-in.
Black bears are known to investigate vehicles in populated areas, especially when food or strong smells are involved. In tourist towns like Gatlinburg, close encounters can happen when bears wander near cabins, cars, trash bins and parking areas.
But this particular bear was not just sniffing around.
It went in, found something interesting and walked out like it had just finished a quick shopping trip.
Thankfully, the video appears to be more funny than frightening, but it is also a reminder that bears are wild animals and should never be approached, fed or encouraged.
As entertaining as the clip is, the safest thing people can do is keep food, coolers and scented items locked away and give bears plenty of space.
Still, it is hard not to laugh at this bold Tennessee bear.
Some animals steal snacks. This one apparently went straight for the beer