Bear Cub Opens Car Door To Snatch Sandwich In Sierra Madre: Video

SIERRA MADRE, CA — A bear cub with a hankering for corned beef gave a man quite a scare in Sierra Madre this week when the animal stood on two legs, peered into a car and tried to open the door.

Sandy Lewis-Duval sent Patch a series of videos taken by her husband, Bill, that showed a family of bears perusing their yard. At one point they climb a tree near the home and congregate around some fake deer ornaments.

But when one of the bears got a whiff of some corned beef, it stood on its legs to investigate the smell, determining some tasty meat was inside a car.

The cub opened the door, panicking the man inside. Dramatic video shows the man yell "hey!" and pull the door shut as the car's door alarm sounds. Not to be deterred, the bear gives it another go, pulling the door open a second time. Once again the door alarm sounds, and the man pulls the door shut again.

"Hey! Get!" he yells as a dog barks in the background.

Bill Duval told KCOP-TV the sandwich was on his lap. Sandy Lewis-Duval said they're used to having the bears roam the neighborhood.

Both he and the dog were not harmed, KTLA-TV reported.

Black bear attacks are extremely rare in California, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. But they have happened.

Should one encounter a black bear, officials have some general guidance.

Among them: "If you encounter a bear in your yard, chances are it will move on if there is nothing for the bear to forage. If there is enough distance between you and the bear, you can encourage the bear to leave by using noisemakers or blowing a whistle."

And should a bear approach you, get big and make noise: Lift and wave your arms and use noisemakers, or yell at the bear.