Bear Rambles Through Los Angeles Miles From The Forest

LOS ANGELES, CA — Not to be overshadowed by Hollywood and its celebrity mountain lion P-22, Eagle Rock played host to a huge black bear Tuesday.

The sight stunned residents, who spied the bear strolling down the sidewalk of a residential street not long after sunset. While the occasional bear sighting is normal for LA’s foothill communities, it’s rare in Eagle Rock, which is about 8 miles from the Angeles National Forest.

The first bear report came into the Los Angeles Police Department about 7 p.m. from a resident who saw the bear wandering the 5200 block of College View Avenue.

“Obviously, it came from its natural habitat,” said LAPD Officer Tony Im. “We went out there to protect citizens by giving the guidance and having them stay away from the bear.”

In Los Angeles, that means warning away would-be selfie-takers.

“Some people may want to take photos or interact with the bear, but we try to remind them that the bear is very dangerous,” Im said.

Authorities dispatched a helicopter to shine a spotlight on the bear, and it continued to ramble through the residential neighborhood for hours Tuesday night before finally returning to the wilderness of its own accord about 11 p.m.

State wildlife officials respond to dozens of bear sightings in Los Angeles County every year. Most frequently, it’s when bears — often with cubs in tow — wander into San Gabriel Valley’s foothill communities in search of food and water. Sometimes they tip over trash cans or frolic in pools.

Rarely have they been known to cross freeways. For a bear to wander through Eagle Rock, there is a chance it may have crossed the Ventura (134) Freeway, the Foothill (210) Freeway or the Glendale (2) Freeway. In 2016, a bear is believed to have crossed the Ventura (101) Freeway because it was spotted in Malibu Creek State Park, where there are no known bear populations.

Periodically, wildlife officials tranquilize bears that get a little too comfortable with the city life and relocate them back into the forest. Bear attacks in Los Angeles are unheard of, and they are exceedingly rare in Los Angeles County. In 2018, a woman reported stabbing a bear that she said became aggressive with her as she hiked the Pacific Coast trail in Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park in Agua Dulce.