LOS PADRES FOREST : Bear Sightings Are Increasing

Bear sightings in Los Padres National Forest are on the rise, forest officials said Tuesday.

Five black bears were encountered by forest visitors during the weekend of June 20-21. The only bear spotted in Ventura County was in Rose Valley, about 18 miles north of Ojai. The rest were in the portions of the forest in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

The bears have entered campgrounds and, in one instance, a mother bear and her cubs were seen lumbering down a well-traveled road through the forest in Santa Barbara County. The bear encountered by campers in Rose Valley was rummaging through a dumpster at the campground.

Visitors and rangers usually see only one or two bears a year at lower elevations, said Los Padres spokesman Earl Clayton. The increase is probably due to a big increase recently in visitors who discard food that attracts the bears, he said.

No one has been injured by the bears, but Clayton said people need to be reminded that the animals are wild and should not be approached.

“Some people forget about that, especially if they have seen them at Yellowstone,” he said.

Black bears are generally docile and shy, but they can be dangerous if threatened or if their offspring or food source are threatened. Although they can weigh 500 pounds and stand six feet tall, they are not nearly as dangerous as grizzly bears, which are aggressive by nature, Clayton said.