Glendale man recalls moment bear jumps onto his car at Sequoia National Park

Tuesday, December 17, 2019
121619-kabc-11pm-bear-car-vid - CC
121619-kabc-11pm-bear-car-vid - CC

GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- A Southern California man is recalling the moment a bear jumped onto the trunk of his car at Sequoia National Park.

Karo Orudzhyan was with his dog inside the vehicle the moment it happened last week. Orudzhyan said he wasn't too scared by the bear, but it's an experience he won't forget.

Orudzhyan said it was the first time he had seen a bear, and was excited to see it. Orudzhyan recorded the encounter with the bear as it pressed its paws on the car and swiped at the glass.

His dog Ice kept its cool during the encounter, which lasted less than two minutes.

"It jumped on the trunk. I got worried about the back glass thinking his paw might go through it," Orudzhyan said.

Orudzhyan is back home in Glendale. He says he took the road trip to get close to nature, but he never imagined coming that close to a bear.

The video went viral after it was shared.

VIDEO: Bear jumps onto car on way to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park

Imagine how scared you would be if you were on the way to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park and a bear jumped up onto the trunk of your car!

Taylor Hawkins sent sister station KFSN the video of the encounter that happened last week.

Hawkins was on her way to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park when she had stopped in a long line of vehicles.

That's when the bear sauntered over to the car right in front of hers, took a look at the trunk, and then clambered up on top of it.

Seconds later, it got spooked, jumped down and ran off.

But it didn't go far.

The unusually fearless - or unusually hungry - bear stopped on the grass just near the edge of the road and looked back at the car for a few seconds.

Hawkins recorded the whole encounter on her phone. She says no one was hurt in the incident.

For Orudzhyan, he said his car had a few scratches, but nothing that couldn't be fixed.