Hungry bears love minivans, says study
A bear: fond of minivans
Bears in California’s Yosemite National Park might have a reputation for rummaging through visitors picnic baskets – but scientific research has shown they’re actually most attracted by minivans.
A study published this month in the Journal of Mammalogy says that the bears’ favourite target is minivans driven by families with children – who leave behind a trail of spilled juice boxes, Cheerios and coolers carrying other snacks.
Park scientists have found that the bears tore into minivans more frequently than other types of vehicles.
// It found that minivans represented 29 percent of the 908 vehicles targetted by bears between 2001 and 2007, even though they made up just 7 percent of the cars that visited Yosemite.
The researchers investigated the relationship after noticing that bears seemed to focus on that particular vehicle type more than any other.
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