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Bear frightened by dog, woman finally leaves Meiners Oaks home
James Glover II / Star staff As armed deputies watched, this black bear climbed out of a tree in Meiners Oaks on Wednesday and made its way back to the forest. No shots were fired.
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More from Local NewsSusan Regan knew from the way her dog was barking that there was something strange outside her Meiners Oaks home Wednesday morning.
When Regan looked out her kitchen window about 6 a.m., she saw a 300-pound black bear.
Regan went outside, and the bear scampered up a large oak tree near her house. Regan notified authorities, and deputies soon arrived at her Mesa Drive home.
After sitting in the tree for about three hours, the bear darted down and disappeared into a forested area west of town. No one was injured, although Nordhoff High School — about a half-mile away — was locked down as a precaution.
Regan said the bear seemed more afraid of people than they seemed of it. "I was worried the bear would be shot and killed," she said.
Deputies armed with shotguns stood nearby, keeping their distance from the bear in the tree. Their presence drew curious neighbors.
"I thought maybe they were looking for someone," said Lisa Cure, who noticed the deputies as she walked home along Mesa after dropping her two young daughters off at school.
After the bear ran away, a sheriff's helicopter circled overhead. Deputies hoped the loud whooshing sound would keep the bear from returning. "It seems to be working," Regan said, an hour after the bear had left.
Regan said she was happy the bear apparently was unscathed. "These animals were here a long time before we were," she said.
She wondered if a honey bee hive in the neighborhood had attracted the bear.
Steve Martarano, a spokesman for the state Department of Fish and Game, said it might have been the bear's first visit to the neighborhood, judging by its behavior.
"It's a good thing it got away without having to be tranquilized or anything," Martarano said.
Black bears are often harmless, he said. The danger comes when they get used to being around people, often because someone carelessly leaves food out.
"Bears tend to follow their stomachs," he said, adding "a fed bear is a dead bear."
While there has never been a documented unprovoked attack by a black bear on a human in California, Martarano said, the animals have been known to take a swipe at someone.
"It can happen as someone is trying to get their picture taken with the bear," he said.
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Posted by lrgvanman on May 8, 2008 at 5:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I saw a video of a local bear (near Howard Creek) that was eventually put down after long interaction with people. So sad.
Posted by Nosmo_King on May 8, 2008 at 7:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AkIzeAH-4BY
At least the bear didn't end up like this one!
Posted by LivinInPoorMansPV on May 8, 2008 at 8:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ADORABLE!
Posted by tiredofviolence on May 8, 2008 at 8:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OMG Nosmo_king -
that was so sad! I wish they would just leave them alone!!! Glad this bear got away :)
Posted by jeff93024 on May 8, 2008 at 9:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"saw a video of a local bear (near Howard Creek) that was eventually put down after long interaction with people. So sad."
I used to know folks who lived at the old Rose Valley Ranch as renters and caretakers. They had a young cinnamon-colored black bear wander in one day, and the women in the family started feeding the bear while the husband was at work with me. He brought dozens of photos to work one day showing the bear being fed by hand. I asked him what he was going to do when the bear grew up, and he said that he had asked his wife the same question. She had no good answer for him, but he was worried about his kids. Finally, when the bear weighed about 100 lbs, the husband called the Forest Service. The FS told him that there was nothing they could do because the bear was on private land, but they directed him to a local trapper with a State of California license who was able to capture the bear with no problem at all. The trapper took the bear to the Hopper Mountain Wildlife Refuge above Fillmore and released it into an area known as "Bear Heaven". Two weeks later, the bear was back. 35 miles is nothing for a bear, and they have an incredible sense of direction.
It seemed as if the bear was going to have to be destroyed, and here's where the story became a bit murky for me, but somehow the Forest Service wound up getting involved the second time around, and the bear was trapped once again and this time was released into the southern Sierras about 160 miles away from Rose Valley. It never came back, and one hopes that it managed to learn how to become a bear and feed itself and stay away from humans and their habitation.
This story has a mostly happy ending, except for the broken bond between the people and the bear. Better than being shot to death or euthanized by Fish & Game, though. Not all animal stories end as well as this one did.
Posted by BeaHappi on May 8, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So cute! I didn't realize their snouts were so long. I'm glad this had a happy bear ending.
Posted by lilmamma on May 12, 2008 at 4:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is a cute story compared to all the crazy ones in the media about crime. Lets keep in mind that bears are WILD animals and have unpredicatble behavior.
Posted by del on May 12, 2008 at 8:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes lilmamma, not unlike a number of people I see on the street everyday.
Posted by mmshoot on May 12, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You've seen honey seeking bears, del? Whoa! You're in danger!
Posted by Brucevacumesrooster on May 12, 2008 at 12:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dang a chance to add another skin rug to my log cabin and I missed it...Think there is a chance it might be around? My other bear skin rug is getting worn, I have had it for almost 2 years now
Posted by mmshoot on May 12, 2008 at 2:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Brucevacumesrooster, all ya gotta do is cultivate yerself a bunch a bees and you'll get y'all a new rug one day.
Posted by Brucevacumesrooster on May 12, 2008 at 2:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thx mmshoot...I am gonna get started today :)
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