California deputies rescue wailing bear trapped in dumpster

KINGS BEACH, Calif. — When a late-night trip to a trash container left a wailing bear cub stuck inside near a Lake Tahoe motel, deputies were called upon to help the cub reunite with its family.

The cub can be heard crying from inside the metal dumpster in video recorded by Placer County Sheriff's deputies on Tuesday.

While their mother keeps watch, the bear's sibling first attempts to rescue the trapped bear, initially trying to climb a light pole, to no avail.

It then climbs on the side of the trash container but fails to open the heavy lid.

Finally, deputies — who are no strangers to bears in Lake Tahoe — come to the rescue.

With the bear family a few paces away and watching from behind a tree, a deputy opens the trash container with a pole and a second deputy quickly places a ladder inside the container.

The deputies back away, allowing the cub to climb the ladder and scurry off to rejoin its family.