A black bear died inside a hot car in Sevierville, Tennessee after he got trapped inside it as temperatures reached 95 degrees Wednesday.
The owner of the vehicle found the animal at around 6:45 p.m. and alerted the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, almost nine hours after he last checked on the car.
“It appears that the bear got inside the car by using its teeth or paws to open the unlocked door and was trapped inside after the door shut behind it,” the TWRA said in a statement.
“We believe that heat likely killed the bear as outside temperatures exceeded 95 degrees meaning the vehicle’s interior possibly reached over 140 degrees.”
Authorities released photos of the scene with a soda can and food packages visible on the floor.
“Here is a good example of how garbage kills bears…Notice the empty soda can and food package on the floorboard. Bears have noses 7 times better than a bloodhound and can smell even the faintest odor of food inside a vehicle,” the statement added.
