NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (WHDH) — A Rhode Island woman says she found herself in a desperate “tug of war” with a hungry black bear that managed to open her car door in Narragansett on Tuesday.
Brenda McCloskey said she battled to keep the large bear at bay near Camp Varnum.
“I grabbed the door with both hands,” she said. “We were having a tug of war. He didn’t get it further than halfway or I don’t think I could have pulled it back.”
McCloskey said when she managed to get the car door closed she turned on the vehicle’s ignition, which sent the bear scrambling away.
After locking the doors, McCloskey snapped a few photos of the bear as it lingered outside her car.
“I think he smelled my lunch,” she said. “I didn’t have a sandwich. I had a box of crackers, they have a keen sense of smell … That side of the car is where the lunch was. I don’t think he was aggressive,” she said.
The incident had animal control officials warning residents, “If sighted, please secure yourself as quickly as possible!”
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