US cities reach record temperatures 1:51
(CNN) --
A black bear in Sevierville, Tennessee, has died after getting into an unlocked car in search of food, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said in a statement Thursday.
The owner of a vehicle parked at a rental cabin found the bear inside the car around 6:45 p.m. The car owner said he had left the car unlocked around 10 a.m.
Authorities believe the bear was able to open the unlocked car with its teeth or paws and was trapped after the door was closed.
The bear appeared to be reaching for an empty soda can and food wrapper on the ground, the statement added.
A second stifling US heat wave threatens record temperatures as it moves east
A bear died after being locked in a car where, according to the authorities, the temperature could reach up to 60ºC. (Credit: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency)
"We believe the heat likely killed the bear as outside temperatures exceeded 35 degrees Celsius yesterday, meaning the interior of the vehicle possibly exceeded 60 degrees Celsius," the statement said.
The agency said people should lock their doors, roll up windows "and never leave food or anything that smells like food inside!"
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Bears have a sense of smell that is seven times stronger than that of a bloodhound, the agency added.
Sevierville, Tennessee is north of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
This week, dangerous heat has settled in the South, with continued heat advisories for more than 20 million people from Texas to Florida, including Dallas, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Mobile and Jacksonville.
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