The Santa Clarita Valley was visited Monday by a frequent seasonal visitor in the spring, the California black bear.
Tim Daly, information officer for the South Coast and Inland Deserts regions of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which includes the SCV, said there are some things to consider when asked about ensuring safety in a bear encounter.
If the sighting is in a residential area — say the bear is rooting nearby trash cans for a snack — the local law enforcement agency should be the first call, he said.
“Local law enforcement, A, will respond because they have far more staff and the ability to respond to a particular neighborhood,” Daly said.
In the SCV’s case, Sheriff’s Station deputies, or the California Highway Patrol if the call is in a state-responsibility area, would likely be the first responders.
“They sort of gauge how things are working and then they would get in touch with us if it looks like our assistance would be needed dealing with a problem animal,” Daly said.
“Maybe it needs to be trapped, maybe it needs to be guarded, maybe it’s attacking animals and it needs to be handled in a more serious manner,” Daly said. “But like I said, local law enforcement is what should be the first call, and they know how to get hold of us.”
For casual sightings in nature, the agency’s website has a Wildlife Incident Reporting System, which can be helpful to staff in “our understanding of how wildlife behaves, where incidents are occurring,” he added.
In terms of personal safety in the event of a bear sighting, the odds are likely a black bear is “just as nervous around us, we would hope, as we are around them,” Daly said.
“So just like with mountain lions, we ask people not to turn and run,” Daly said, “but be big, be loud and then slowly back away, so that they can keep an eye on the animal that’s near them.”
