A bear who napped in a local tree on Thursday was spotted in Canyon Country again on Friday, running across oncoming traffic at a busy intersection before climbing over a brick wall and into a mobile home park.
And, officials with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station requested the public’s help to spot the roaming bear to safely relocate it.
The bear was seen running through the street at 6:45 a.m. near the intersection of Solamint Road and Soledad Canyon Road, according to video footage sent to The Signal on Friday.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Cort Klopping said in a followup that the bear was located on Friday afternoon up on a tree near an open space, after it crossed the State Route 14 corridor earlier in the day.
Biologists believe the bear would travel toward the open space on its own, and didn’t pose a threat to the public, according to Klopping.
It was the second time in as many days that the bear paid a visit to the Canyon Country area. According to Watch Sgt. Soraya Ely with the SCV Sheriff’s Station, the bear spotted roaming through the mobile home park was the same bear that was located sleeping up on a tree in a residential area near Lost Canyon Road and Sand Canyon Road on Thursday.
Reported sightings of the bear had been sent to the SCV Sheriff’s Station, but once deputies arrived on a scene, the bear was no longer there, Ely said, and requested that the public immediately report any sightings to the station.
Officials with Fish and Wildlife had been notified, Ely said during initial reports, but would respond to the scene once a set location of the bear was solidified.
“We want to safely get the bear to a safer location,” Ely said, while also protecting the public, which is why she urged residents to contact the station at 661-260-4000 immediately if they saw the roaming bear.
On Thursday, the male bear, approximately 4 to 5 years old, took a nap on a tree before it made its way down and back into a nearby area of the Santa Clarita River wash with a Fish and Wildlife monitoring close by. The approximately 275-pound bear was not too far from a local school.
The same bear had been seen in Pacoima a week earlier. At that time, Fish and Wildlife personnel tranquilized the bear and fitted him with a tracking collar and an identifying ear tag, and released him into the Angeles National Forest.
The SCV Sheriff’s Station posted across its social media platforms that deputies are aware of the bear sightings and shared safety tips from wildlife officials:
- Give it space, do not approach, crowd, or try to take photos with the bear under any circumstances.
- If a bear is spotted, residents should walk away slowly, avoid eye contact, and calmly back away.
- Garbage cans should be secured and any pet food or bird feeders should be brought indoors to avoid drawing the bear toward properties.
- Pets should be kept on a short leash when walking, and be kept inside if a bear is nearby.
