This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
A California Black Bear spent the morning strolling around Sun Valley, scaring residents and horses, until officials were able to tranquilize it.
The bear was captured by California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials Wednesday morning after it spent an hour and a half roaming around the San Fernando Valley neighborhood, CBS News reports
BEAR SIGHTING: Bear roaming Shadow Hills area near Sun Valley. Wildlife officials on scene pic.twitter.com/pd4CJPUTut
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) May 22, 2013
The male bear, estimated at 150 pounds, is seen in an NBC news video slowly exploring a few driveways, lured by the smell of delicious, delicious garbage. It also nimbly climbed fences and managed to scare a few horses before it was captured.
Since the bear was tagged, officials recognized it as the same bear they'd initially tagged May 6 in Santa Clarita, which makes it a "serial neighborhood forager," according to CNS.
This morning it was was spotted around 6:10 a.m. near Stonehurst Avenue and Fenway Street in Sun Valley. KTLA's Sky5 captured the bear startling some horses as it ran through a corral.
“This time of year, these guys are moving around, looking for food, looking for water. He’s probably just trying to find a place that’s comfortable, safe and where he can get a food source,” Warden JC Healy told CBS. He said he shot the bear with a tranquilizer around 7:40 a.m. in the Shadow Hills Estates area. “I put a dart probably in his shoulder area . . . it took about three to four minutes for him to go down which is pretty quick.
Officials plan to transport the bear to the Angeles National Forest. “Hopefully he won’t come back,” Officer Andrew Hughan told CBS. He told KTLA the bear appeared to be a juvenile.
LA has had its share of bear sightings lately, including one that wanted to take a dip in one Altadena woman's pool and (possibly the same bear) that sent kids running in La Cañada/Flintridge.
