A family of four that recently moved to the area got a sour taste of what it's like to live in the woods when they woke up Thursday to find a bear trapped in one of their cars, thrashing the interior trying to get out.

David Meurer said was about to get into his car around 8 a.m. and noticed his wife's door was opened -- and it made him suspicious, especially when he noticed something strange about his car.

"And then I saw breathing. Almost like heavy fog. And I was like, Oh, it gets kind of humid in the mornings," he said. "It was just like heavy panting, then I kind of heard a growl and then I realized there was a bear inside."

The bear appeared to have entered his car through the driver's door, which was unlocked, Meurer said.

"I sprinted back inside and I woke Shaylee up and the kids automatically woke up and they were afraid because I was kind of like, hey, there's a bear and I was trying to be calm and quiet, but at the same time, I was like this is insane," he said. "At first it was kind of, just kind of cool."

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Then Meurer's next realization came.

"Once I opened it and realized that this is what I was looking at, well, then I realized I hope my insurance covers it," he said.

The bear had torn apart the panels on the doors, the cushion and padding from the seats, the dash was scratched and the ceiling fabric was hanging.

"Everything inside is thrashed," Meurer said. "I guess they call it totaled from the inside."

Meurer said he didn't leave any food in his car, adding that he doesn't even like to eat while driving. However, he did say his wife's car was also unlocked -- and that it appears the bear grabbed an apple from the inside of her car, but left without damaging the interior.

The bear ran away back into the woods when a brave neighbor opened the door so it could it get out.

Meurer and his family are trying to stay positive about the ordeal.

"Does a bear poop in the woods? And I would say no. He poops in Kia Sorentos," he said, laughing. "I'm going to make sure my doors are locked from now on because today's just really been a bear."

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