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In Which the Glendale Bear Opens a Twitter Account

black_bear.jpg
Photo of a black bear by solviturambulando via Flickr

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The black bear that's been paying regular visits to Glendale and La Crescenta just wants to be free, you guys, to eat meatballs, and to pick oranges, and, like anyone else, to tweet.

That's right -- like his predecessors, the Bronx Zoo cobra and the Burbank mountain lion, the Glendale bear recently opened a Twitter account. Christened "Glen Bearian," the account records the 250-ish pound animal's love of meaty snacks, his political leanings when it comes to Fish and Game officials, and, kind of heart-breakingly, his passion for The Beatles:

Black bear eating in the dead of night. Take these oranges off of the tree. All your life. You were only waiting for this moment to be free.

The bear has been frequenting certain parts of eastern LA county since mid-March. He was first spotted by a resident whose garage he had broken into, where he proceeded to snack on meatballs and tuna. He was later seen picking an orange from a tree in the area, digging through trash, and casually strolling through a La Crescenta neighborhood.

Local authorities have said they would use deadly force against the bear if he posed an imminent danger, but by letting people get to know him better via social media, the bear has made a huge defensive move against that threat.

Well played, Glen Bearian.

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