THE DAILY WIRE · NORTH CAROLINA · 2026-09-29
Property Damage, Ursine Division: A Garage Door Reviews Poorly
A black bear in North Carolina bypassed the garage door entirely on its way to a snack, choosing instead to put its full body weight through the window, according to video obtained by WLOS.
Officials say the incident followed the familiar pattern of the region's garage-adjacent bear encounters: food smell, structural failure, exit stage rear. No injuries were reported, though the garage door's dignity did not survive the encounter.
This reporter has covered enough of these cases to note a pattern worth flagging for the record — bears in this region appear to regard 'garage' as a synonym for 'vending machine with worse security.' The window, notably, was not load-bearing. The bear did not know this in advance.
Winona, a backyard deer who lives two properties over, was tracked down for comment on the general neighborhood vibe following the incident. Her account of the local wildlife hierarchy differs sharply from what homeowners' insurance forms tend to assume.
Authorities have not indicated whether the garage door will be repaired to bear-resistant standards, a phrase this reporter did not expect to type today but here we are.
“That garage smelled like a barbecue rehearsal, of course he went through the window instead of the door. Bears can smell food from over a mile away, which is more than I can say for the humans who leave their grills unlocked.” — Winona, backyard deer
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