Firefighters may be well-versed in rescuing cats from trees, but on Tuesday morning state fish and wildlife officials performed an even more impressive feat — capturing a black bear from a tree in Chatsworth.
The bear, believed to be a three- to five-year-old female, was tranquilized and transported back to its natural habitat, the Angeles National Forest, said Tim Daly, spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Department officials first came in contact with the bear in May when it was discovered in Claremont. They put a collar on her and took her back to the Angeles National Forest.
But recently, the adventurous bear managed to travel some 100 miles out to Malibu, appeared to get lost on the way home, and wound up in the San Fernando Valley, Daly said.
“The distance that it went, in combination with the barriers that would have had to have cleared, is what really caught our people by surprise,” said Daly. “We think the bear probably went over or under five different freeways.”
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The wandering bear was first spotted in a tree in Northridge on Monday, but defied the state officials’ attempts to coax her into a cage, said Daly. She then traveled to Chatsworth and climbed into a tree near the intersection of Lassen and DeSoto streets.
Once again, she did not want to come down, so officials made the decision to tranquilize her.
“A gym owner who happened to be in the area was nice enough to lend us padding from his gym, so when the bear hit the ground, it had a nice soft landing,” said Daly. “So it was just a really nice outcome for this particular bear.”
“We have since taken it back to the Angeles National Forest and our hope is, this time, that bear stays put,” he added.
There is a large bear population in the forest and they often wander into surrounding areas such as Pasadena, Monrovia and Sierra Madre. But they don’t usually travel so far or cause quite a scene as this particular bear, Daly said, noting that a vast crowd including media gathered in Chatsworth to watch the rescue this morning.
“If there’s ever a public safety concern, we tell people to call local law enforcement,” Daly said. “Local law enforcement knows how to get hold of us and that’s often a way we learn about something.”
Bear attacks are very rare, he added, but in a sticky situation the most important thing to do is remain calm and back away from the bear slowly, Daly said. Do not run away from, or attempt to corner, the bear, he said.
People can also take precautions to protect their homes from wildlife like bears, mountain lions or coyotes, by ensuring there are no gaps in their fencing, securing garbage cans, picking up pet or bird food and removing any fruit fallen from trees.
