Bear Cub Searches for Snacks in Altadena

A young bear that rummaged noisily for snacks in the trash cans and yards of an Altadena neighborhood early Monday morning sent residents scrambling for their homes and video cameras, while authorities described the episode as the latest in a string of area bear sightings.

Lured apparently by the promise of pet food and full garbage cans, the bear ventured about 10 blocks from the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains to the intersection of Fair Oaks Avenue and Las Flores Drive around 2:30 a.m.

The visit prompted at least one resident to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, while another resident switched on a video camera and taped the animal as it lumbered over manicured lawns. Later that morning, other neighbors awoke to find their bushes and trash cans askew.

“He’s probably 100% wild and would eat me,” said Saleem Samiya, a 22-year resident of the neighborhood. Samiya said he would keep his pet pit bull close to him for protection.

Neighbor Emmett Franklin, 52, said the bear left a gaping hole in his hedges. “That’s a long way for a bear to travel,” Franklin said. “I’m a little concerned because I have two kids who play around the neighborhood. It’s not a good thing.”

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Don Bee said the Altadena Station had received several calls about small-bear sightings recently. In each case, the animal “wandered back into the forest” after being spotted, Bee said.

About a week ago, barking dogs and other noises alerted residents to a bear in nearby Arcadia.

“I’m OK with a loose bear as long as he’s not right up on me,” said Stacy Brown, 23, an Altadena resident. “I think if I saw it, I’d be amazed and not scared, but I wouldn’t try to pet it.”