Bear opens Asheville U-Haul, steals bag in daylight break-in

A bear on a daylight walk through Asheville opened the door of a parked U-Haul van, climbed inside, rummaged through the vehicle and walked away with a bag in its mouth. The break-in was captured on video Thursday, May 28, 2026, turning a routine parking-lot sighting into a scene that underscored how comfortable some bears have become around people and their property.

The footage was shared by Haley Lambert, who said she and her partner watched the bear break into the van. Lambert captioned the clip, “First day in Asheville – had to helplessly watch our neighbors get robbed.” The video quickly drew attention for its comic timing, but the incident was a reminder that a bear looking for food or another reward can move from a trash can to a vehicle without much hesitation.

That is the central problem for Asheville and Buncombe County officials trying to limit human-black bear conflicts. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has said it is receiving increased reports of human-black bear interactions in Asheville and Buncombe County, a sign that the encounters are no longer isolated to a few neighborhoods or one-off incidents. Wildlife officials have linked bear problems in the region to food access and have urged people to secure attractants, especially trash and food sources.

The city has responded by expanding bear-resistant trash cart availability, part of a broader effort to cut off the rewards that draw bears into yards, streets and parking areas. City of Asheville Sanitation has ordered 340 additional bear carts and approved trash-lock devices, measures aimed at making it harder for bears to get an easy meal from unsecured waste. Officials have said that keeping bears out of human food sources is one of the most direct ways to protect both residents and wildlife.

The Asheville video fits that larger pattern. A bear that can open a van door in broad daylight is not just opportunistic; it is learning where people leave scents, food and other attractants behind. In Buncombe County, that makes secure trash storage, careful food handling and bear-resistant containers more than a neighborhood courtesy. They are part of the local response to a growing public-safety and coexistence problem.