Bear Ravages 2 Cars in Colorado in Search of Yummy-Smelling Lip Gloss: Which Scents Are They Most Attracted To?

A bear in Colorado tore through two cars to reach the yummy-smelling lip gloss that was left inside. The bear is reportedly enticed by the scent and broke into the vehicles, ripping the seats and leaving the items inside in a disarray.

Bears are attracted to any scent regardless if it is good or bad. These curious creatures follow its nose to a buffet of easy-to-get foods, liquids, and even garbage, especially where humans have set up a camp. That is why hikers are always instructed to be careful in stirring food in campgrounds as it can attract bears.

Bear Went Lip Gloss Hunting in Colorado

Authorities believe that the bear must have been attracted to the scent of the lip gloss as there is no food inside the cars. The incident was subsequently reported to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). They took to Twitter to alert the public that bears can open cars and that it is best to always lock the car doors and remove anything with a scent to avoid a similar incident.

Officials added that the scent of the lip gloss was enough to entice the bear to check it out, Daily Star reported. CPW also shared photos of the ransacked cars in which it shows the cars with their guts spilling out and evidence of the bear ripping through the roof and leather seats, which exposes the spongy cushion of the seats.

CPW officials said bears broke into cars 484 times from 2019 to 2020. These carnivoran mammals are attracted to scents, including sunscreen, lip balm, creams, and air fresheners. They are even known to break into houses and destroy furniture while searching for the source of the scent thinking that they are food.

Wildlife officials urge the public to secure all attractants and stressed the importance of not feeding bears as they learn to associate humans with food, which ends up them eating from bins, bird feeders, or other human-provided food sources around houses and businesses.

Scents That Attract And Repel Bears

According to the website Glamping or Camping, anyone who has gone camping before knows the precautions to prevent animal encounters. A helpful method is to store food in secure storage lockers or bear canisters.

Still, some foods attract bears the most, such as bacon, sweets, fruits, grease, licorice, vanilla, fish, raw meats, peanut butter, onions and garlic, cheese, coffee, and pet food.

Moreover, there are also other scents that bears are attracted to aside from food. According to Outdoor Favor, bears love the smell from perfume, deodorants, soaps, and even garbage.

On the other hand, some scents repel bears, including neem oil, pine oil, cider vinegar, ammonia, Lysol, and bear pepper spray. Experts advise campers to spray pine oil on their garbage or food storage to keep bears away and leave their belongings.

Watch this bear below as it opens a car door and locks himself in:

Check out more news and information on Grizzly Bears in Science Times.