Hungry Cornwall bear strikes again, caught opening a family’s Range Rover
A hungry black bear neighbors have nicknamed “Cheddar” was caught on home surveillance Monday night, casually strolling up a driveway on Mine Hill and opening a family’s Range Rover door like he’s checking for room service.
More Stories
Cornwall’s most notorious late-night snacker is back and getting bolder.
A hungry black bear neighbors have nicknamed “Cheddar” was caught on home surveillance Monday night, casually strolling up a driveway on Mine Hill and opening a family’s Range Rover door like he’s checking for room service.
Ring camera video shows the bear popping the door handle just after 8 p.m. and sticking his head inside. The family tells News 12 he grabbed some leftover fruit and ignored a container of curried crunchy chickpeas before walking off.
This comes just days after the same bear was caught on camera stealing an Amazon package filled with pancake mix and cheddar crackers. Neighbors say Cheddar has been opening car doors, dragging garbage cans down the block and roaming driveways like he’s “snack shopping.”
One neighbor joked, “If he figures out the garage opener, we’re in trouble.”
Another added, “We lock our car doors because of bears now — not people.”
Experts say bears are learning fast.
Bear Mountain Zoo Director Kerry Gallagher tells News 12 the behavior isn’t surprising as bears lose habitat and adapt to living closer to people.
“I think it’s safe to say that with habitat loss bears are adapting to the urban landscape just like coyote, fox, and raccoons,” Gallagher said. “They are becoming more adept at manipulating cars, porches, and garbage cans in their search for easy food sources.”
Gallagher says this type of behavior is becoming more common and we’re simply catching more of it on camera.
In the meantime, neighbors say they’re keeping their driveways clean and their car doors locked, especially from the bear.
A DEC spokesperson says Black bears have relatively short, curved claws that are well-suited for opening lever-style door handles and pushing down open windows. If bears are in the area, lock your car doors and roll up and lock your windows. Remove food or anything with an odor from your car.
If a bear is damaging property or is reluctant to leave the area, but the situation is not an emergency, call the regional wildlife office during business hours, or the DEC Law Enforcement Dispatch Center at 1-844-DEC-ECOs (1-844-332-3267);
For more information on how to live responsibly with black bears, visit the DEC's website and Bearwise.org.
