Here's a funny story about how bears in High Peaks region of the northeastern Adirondacks have been able to figure out how to open bear-proof cans including the BearVault 500 which is supposed to keep bears from eating camping food. Led by "Yellow Yellow", one of the tagged bears in the area, the bears seem to be sharing knowledge about how to get into the cans.
So last year Mr. Hogan [from BearVault] introduced the 450, a two-pound cylinder costing about $60, and a larger version, the 500, each with a second tab. On them, a camper must press in one tab, turn the lid partway, then press the second tab to remove the lid. “We thought, ‘O.K., well, one bump didn’t work so maybe two bumps will thwart her,’ ” he said. But Yellow-Yellow figured that lid out, too.
Last month, her achievements were noted in an article in Adirondack Explorer. And she now appears to have apprentices; campers have reported seeing other bears getting into their BearVaults.