Video: Sneaky Bear Opens Police Station Door, Looks Tempted by Vending Machine

A large bear was recorded walking on its hind legs into a California Highway Patrol (CHP) building last week, where he was tempted by some vending machines.

The footage, taken inside the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility in the town of Truckee on November 17, was published to Facebook by the Donner Pass division the day after. It was re-uploaded to the social networking platform over the weekend in a higher resolution.

In the clip, the bear approaches the door, opening the handle with its paw. The animal then walks through on all fours before inspecting a row of vending machines. In the door's glass reflection, the bear is seen strolling around briefly before casually exiting into the parking lot.

Two officers then follow the animal out of the door, one with his silver handgun drawn at his side. "We had an unexpected visitor last night at the facility," CHP Donner Pass stated.

On Saturday, the footage was posted in better quality alongside a second clip of the bear in the parking lot inspecting some bins. "Our bear friend made a return visit," the CHP noted.

There was no damage to the facility during the bear's unplanned excursion, officers confirmed.

Comments under the video—which was shared hundreds of times—were quick to make jokes about the incident. One user wrote: "This is unbearable! It could have been a grizzly situation!" Another added: "I guess he doesn't like your selection of snacks or he ran out of change."

When one Facebook user asked why the officers went after the bear, the account replied: "CHP Officers don't scare easily." The town of Truckee, which is in Nevada County, says on its website that bears frequent the region. It warns the public against leaving their rubbish unattended.

It states: "Wild animals naturally fear people; as long as you keep your distance, they will generally not bother you, unless the animal has become accustomed to human contact.

"When bears have easy access to human food sources, including trash, it has been observed that their behavior changes. In these cases, bears are no longer cautious and fearful around people, and this may result in property damage and even threaten human safety." It adds: "Keep in mind that bears and other animals are attracted to anything edible or smelly."

It was not immediately clear what type of bear was in the surveillance recording.