A bear spotted on the streets of La Cañada Flintridge wound up in a tree on Jarvis Avenue for several hours Wednesday, and was still there as of press time.
At 4:30 p.m., the official Twitter account of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported: “[Helicopters] left and she almost came down. [Helicopters] came back and bear settled down. Still in the tree. Long night ahead.”
Residents were alerted to the presence of the 250-pound female black bear by the sound of helicopters in the morning. They joined media members mingling for hours on the street hoping for a glimpse of the animal.
Officials said that before finding her way into the tree, the bear made it as far as the YMCA on Foothill Boulevard. Television footage showed the bear walking through a few yards and taking a dip in a pool before scaling the tree at around 11 a.m., after which it stayed put. Authorities intended to wait it out, hoping to spook her to run toward freedom.
“I know the Station Fire happened so many years ago, but it’s still such a big deal,” said Scott Sevin, who lives locally and came by to take photos of the bear. “There’s so much burnt and charred area with no water, so I totally understand why they come down. It’s like when I see a deer or coyote, they just want food or water, but it’s just a little different when you see a big four-legged bear walking through.”
There were reports that the same bear, estimated to be about 3 years old, also was spotted in Pasadena over the Memorial Day weekend.
— Mirjam Swanson
