TOWNSEND, Tenn. (WATE) — We have seen bear encounters in the past, but have you ever seen a bear trying to drive a car? One woman in Townsend got quite the surprise when she looked out the window of her home.

It is not uncommon to see bears in East Tennessee, however, it is uncommon to see a bear get into someone car. Denise Riggleman of Townsend saw that firsthand.

“I just looked out my window and I saw this bear and two cubs in my truck. I couldn’t believe it, I was just shocked.”

Riggleman said she left her car windows down due to the heat and that is when her furry neighbors jumped in.

“I thought, they’re just so darn cute I’ve got to get some footage. I grab my phone and took a picture and a quick video of her and I had just decided to wait her out,” Riggleman said. “I didn’t want to go outside and try to scare her because of the cubs, I know how mama’s can be with their cubs.”

“I forgot to close my windows and now I have a mama and two cubs,” she can be heard saying on the video.

Despite this one instance, she says she normally takes all the necessary precautions to prevent bear encounters.

“Definitely no food is ever in our vehicles and there was no food in there. I should have had my windows up, that’s where I was wrong,” Riggleman said. “Plus, the truck should have been locked so lesson learned. No food in the truck, windows up, and car doors locked. That’s what we try to do.”

Then the worrying began, hoping nothing bad would happen to her car. Luckily for her, the vehicle was left unscathed.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency reminds visitors to the Smokies not keep food in your vehicles and to keep the doors locked. They added to make sure all trashcans near bear habitats are bearproof.