COLORADO SPRINGS, Co., Aug. 19, 2026—A black bear died after getting trapped in an unlocked car in Colorado Springs.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminded people in an X post Monday to keep their cars locked, windows closed and to dispose of any trash and food. According to CPW, bears can open unlocked car doors.

The 300-pound bear, looking for food, found his way inside the car. He destroyed the vehicle in an attempt to free himself.

The high temperature in Colorado Spring on Aug. 17 was 86 degrees. However, according to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, temperatures that exceed 86 degrees can quickly reach 134-150 degrees inside a vehicle.

An 86-degree outside temperature, as it was in Colorado Springs, can become 130 degrees in 60 minutes, according to calculations by the American Veterinary Medical Association. After four hours, the temperature can rise to 140 degrees.

After the bear died, he went undiscovered for days in the heat.