A North Carolina woman said she entered her daughter's apartment and found a bear, which had entered by opening an unlocked door, roaming through the home.

The mother called emergency personnel after spotting the bear eating some pet food, according to Asheville fire department spokeswoman Kelley Klope.

The bear smelled dog food right inside the door and was able to get in through the door by pulling down on the unlocked handle, said North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission biologist Mike Carraway.

Ms Klope said crews arrived and hit on the ceiling to scare the bear, which then left unharmed.

Mr Carraway said similar break-ins are rare, with this being the first one this year in the Asheville area.