He pulled into the gas station on a late run, expecting nothing more than the usual fill-up.
The lights hummed above, the pumps lined up, and everything looked normal until his eyes landed on a trash can that wasn’t behaving like the rest.
Something protruded from its rim; a fur-covered shape tucked awkwardly between the liner and the rim. He paused, unease creeping in. It didn’t look like garbage.
The man from California walked closer, foot crunching on the pavement, his heart picking up pace as he peered into the depths of the can. Whatever was inside didn’t belong there.
What he found in that instant turned a quick stop for gas into a rescue he didn’t see coming.
It’s A Bear?!
When the man stopped to get gas, he noticed the furry butt sticking out of a trash can, so he got closer to examine it.
As he did, it started to dawn on him what this animal was. It was a bear who was likely looking for food in the trash can and got stuck by accident.
The man, named Alex Carreles, thought about getting even closer to touch the bear, but then he realized that it was probably a bad idea.
Carreles stayed there for a while and recorded everything. Shortly after, he saw that the bear got fully into the trash can and was now peeking out with his head.
The man who works at the gas station had noted that this bear had been coming there for several nights in a row.
While he didn’t seem aggressive, his presence around humans was still a bit alarming. So naturally, local wildlife experts from BEAR League in California were called.
They came to the area to hopefully teach this young bear to be wary of humans in a non-aggressive way.
One of the experts noted that he shouldn’t have trouble finding food in the forest, and it was probably better that he avoid being around humans, for his own safety.
Reactions From TikTokers
As one might expect with a video like this one, it got a lot of attention and TikTokers were rushing in the comments to share their thoughts on the matter.
One person commented: “Omg he is so stinking cute. I hope you called a rescue or something to help. Bears like this can get eliminated the more they are allowed to do this and it’s so sad for them. But omg he’s cute.”
Well, luckily for him, he did get help from wildlife experts and they had already taught him to avoid going into populated areas so he wouldn’t get hurt.
Another person said: “Awe I would have got him some berries or a watermelon or something. The poor baby is hungry, that’s all.”
I am sure that the people who sent him away to the forest also gave him something to eat. Hopefully the bear won’t struggle to find berries in the forest, as it’s just the right season for that.
Lastly, somebody commented: “Awwww he’s so cute. I wish they were friendly and not just friend shaped. Lol.”
Yeah, it’s kind of hard to ignore our instinct when it comes to cute animals, but we have to be alert for our own sake, or else we could get bitten.
Still, this young bear hopefully won’t have to worry about it. Thanks to the help of wildlife experts, he is now back to his natural habitat.