A Hungry Bear Turns One Family Subaru Into an Escape Room
That’s right! A family found themselves staring at one very large problem after a black bear got trapped inside their Subaru and could not find its way back out. One important correction before we get carried away: although the footage is making the rounds again, the incident itself happened on May 1, 2025, in Forest Ranch, California.
Amanda Wells said her dog woke the family in the middle of the night, and she soon noticed the vehicle’s lights flashing outside. The explanation was not a malfunctioning car alarm. There was a bear inside the family’s 2010 Subaru Forester, rummaging around after entering through an unlocked door.
BEAR AWARE
Keep the Snacks Away From the Bears
See California’s official black-bear safety guidance, then make food storage a little harder for curious wildlife to investigate.
Some links may be affiliate links. INYIM may earn from qualifying purchases.
What started as a hungry bear looking for a snack quickly turned into a two-and-a-half-hour mess. Wells told Storyful the animal became tired and hot while trapped inside, shifting the family’s concern from the Subaru to whether the bear would make it out safely.
Her husband, Geno Wells, eventually used a pellet gun to break the driver-side window. Once the glass gave way, the bear was able to crawl out and head back toward the woods. No dramatic wrestling match, no one trying to play wildlife whisperer — just give the furry home invader an exit and move.
The bear escaped. The Subaru? Not so much. Photos and video from the family showed extensive damage inside the vehicle, including torn interior panels, a shredded steering wheel, broken glass and a badly damaged dashboard. The car was effectively totaled.
Adding insult to very expensive injury, Wells later explained that the family’s insurance had lapsed while money was tight, leaving them without reimbursement for the vehicle she used to commute to work and get the kids around. A GoFundMe was launched afterward to help replace it.
The Bear-in-the-Car Damage Was No Little Scratch
The supplied images continue the Forest Ranch incident, including the bear inside the vehicle and the extensive damage left behind.
Images from the Wells family’s bear-in-car incident in Forest Ranch, California.
Damage imagery: Wells family / GoFundMe; original incident footage: Amanda Wells via Storyful
California wildlife officials have a simple explanation for why encounters like this happen: black bears are highly food-motivated and will investigate attractive smells. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends removing food and strongly scented items from vehicles and keeping vehicle doors and windows closed and locked in bear country.
Which brings us to the lesson of the day: lock the car, clear out the snacks and do not assume a bear cannot work a door handle. Because if one gets in and then cannot get back out, apparently your dashboard becomes the bear’s emotional-support chew toy.
Watch the Bear Trapped Inside the Wells Family’s Subaru
The MailOnline video below carries footage from the Forest Ranch, California incident and the bear’s eventual escape from the damaged vehicle.
Source: Amanda Wells via Storyful; California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
