Mmmm, minivan! The favorite vehicle of Yosemite's black bears

[depakid]

A black bear at Yosemite National Park makes messy work of a camper's unlocked food box. Some bears have learned to break into cars -- particularly minivans.
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What do soccer moms and black bears at Yosemite National Park have in common? They both prefer minivans. During a seven-year period, park bears have shown a distinct preference for breaking into minivans in the hopes of finding food, according to a report in the October issue of the Journal of Mammalogy.

The minivans apparently are a good source of fuel efficiency for the bears, which are selective foragers in nature and also are known to raid trash cans, steal food from campers and even break into houses for a free meal.

The authors studied the number of vehicles by make and model that black bears raided from 2001 to 2007 in Yosemite National Park. In all years, minivans had the largest or second-largest number of break-ins. The Yosemite bears broke into 908 vehicles between 2001 and 2007. Minivans topped the field at 26 percent, followed by SUVs at 22.5 percent, small cars at 17.1 percent and sedans at 13.7 percent.

Why minivans?

They smell good. Minivans are more likely to carry children, who are more likely to spill food and drink.

Passengers are more likely to leave food in the vehicle parked overnight.

Minivans are easily accessible. The bears most often broke in by popping open a rear side window.

The break-ins might also be the work of a few individuals that have learned to target minivans.

More: http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/10/mmmm_minivan_the_favorite_vehi.html

[The River]

1. Yogi Strikes Again

He's gone from simple theft of pic-a-nic baskets
to B&E and vandalism to get his fix.

[Viking12]

2. They deserve to have their cars vandalized.

The Park had secure bear boxes for food when I was there 14 years ago. I'm sure there are more now. They instruct you to secure your food when you check in. There are signs everywhere. The only reason that the bears go after the cars is because of camper negligence.