Hungry bear spotted on top of trash truck driving down North Carolina highway

A bear hitched a ride on top of a trash truck driving down a highway in North Carolina Wednesday morning before being spotted, officials said.

The Windsor/Bertie County Chamber of Commerce shared a photo on Facebook of the furry creature trapped on the truck. 

According to WTKR-TV, authorities got a call early Wednesday from a motorist reporting seeing the bear on U.S. Route 17. The truck's driver, who didn't know the animal was there, was heading to a landfill after his last pick up in Dare County, the TV station reported.

WITN-TV reported that the bear got caught during a stop when it climbed in looking for a snack and the unaware driver pulled a net over the load to prevent trash from flying out while driving.

A sheriff's deputy pulled the truck over, the TV station reported. According to the county's chamber of commerce, the bear jumped out and ran into the woods when the screen was pulled back.

Per WTKR-TV, the sheriff's office received a similar call within the past six months.

"Maybe we should have a black bear festival..." the Windsor/Bertie County Chamber of Commerce joked on Facebook.

Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller