Car vandalism culprit? Evidence points to unidentified bear

SONTAG, Miss. (AP) — Stealing a picnic basket is one thing. Mauling a car is quite another.

A Mississippi wildlife department biologist says a bear attacked a woman’s car Friday in the Sontag community about 60 miles south of Jackson.

Jamie Holt tells the Jackson Clarion-Ledger there were tooth and claw marks consistent with a bear on the front wheel wells and hood. There was headlight damage, and the front license tag holder was ripped off. There was also a muddy bear track nearby.

No one was inside the car, and it’s not clear what prompted the attack. There was no food inside.

A nearby trash can was untouched, as were apples in the yard.

Mississippi’s black bear population is growing, and bears are increasingly seen in areas where they’ve not been seen before.

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Information from: The Clarion-Ledger, http://www.clarionledger.com