Bear opens pickup truck door, destroys interior

Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Wildlife officials in Tennessee shared photos of a pickup truck that has the inside of its cab destroyed by a bear that locked itself inside.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said Officer Gene Parker responded to an incident in Gatlinburg involving a bear that opened the door to an unlocked pickup truck and closed itself inside the vehicle.

The agency said such incidents are increasingly common in the Smokey Mountains "with hungry bears roaming around."

The incident led officials to issue an all-caps warning: "LOCK YOUR VEHICLE DOORS WHEN IN THE SMOKIES AND NEVER LEAVE FOOD INSIDE!!!"