Mother bear, 3 cubs freed after getting trapped in La Verne water tank

A mother bear and her three cubs were rescued after becoming trapped inside a large water storage tank in La Verne Saturday, prompting a large response from firefighters and wildlife officials. Officials said the bears were in distress for hours before one of the cubs managed to escape on its own. First responders dubbed the effort “Operation Care Bear” after the bears spent more than 12 hours inside the tank. The rescue happened near Claremont Wilderness Park’s 5-Mile Loop Trail. Firefighters shared video of the rescue, which ended with three bears emerging from the tank. The bears had apparently squeezed through a 1-foot-wide opening in the concrete structure and became trapped inside.

Crews used a saw to cut a larger hole in the tank and lowered a ladder to help the animals escape. “They were exhausted, so it took a few minutes for the first cub to come out, then the second cub got out, and then finally the mother,” said Keith Navarre with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The bears were spotted around 8 a.m. Saturday by Glendora residents Eric McDonald and Jamie Kirk. “We climbed up top, and there’s a small hole and right away we see a bear staring at us, kind of holding on to the walls because it was full of water,” Kirk said. McDonald said he and Kirk were concerned about the animals’ condition. “We were just concerned that, certainly they had water, but they would get hungry and there’s no telling how long they’d been in there,” he said. Tyler Christensen and Bradney Boli also encountered the bears and recorded video of the bears inside the tank. “I just stuck my head in the hole. One was all tucked up on the top.

There’s like a little pole. They were just scared to death,” Christensen said. “I think the bears got very lucky because it would not be easy to hear that,” Boli said. California Department of Fish and Wildlife drained water from the tank before firefighters from La Verne and Los Angeles County assisted in the rescue. The bears may have been seeking water during the hot and humid weather. One of the three cubs escaped the tank before rescuers arrived. That cub has since been reunited with its family.

Source: Mother bear, 3 cubs freed after getting trapped in La Verne water tank – ABC7 Los Angeles

He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend.
Psalm 15:2-3

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Baby Bear Nibbles on Photographer’s Boot

Bear cub sniffing a hiker’s boot on a forest trail

A baby bear took a nibble at a photographer after becoming curious about his boot. Wildlife photographer Bruce Robert Danz was in the Katmai Preserve in Alaska on August 2 with another shooter while capturing images of three cubs and a mama bear fishing. But as is sometimes the case with wildlife photography, the bears wandered close to the humans; a little too close. As the cubs emerged from the muddy river, the trio of inquisitive cubs walked past the two photographers. Danz’s companion can be heard saying, “No bear, no bear” as the bears get too close for comfort.

Then one of the cubs couldn’t resist the urge to investigate and started sniffing at Danz’s shoe. The sniff turns into a nibble and Danz quickly pulled his foot away ever so slightly. “No bear, that’s my foot,” Danz says. “Just moving my boot a little was enough to end the interaction and the cub fell back in line,” Danz tells Storyful. Danz was on a photographic tour with Jerry Jacques, who has been leading grizzly bear photo safaris since 1977. “We kept our distance, kept quiet and did not disturb the bears from fishing,” Danz says. “The bears were aware of our presence and occasionally would walk very close to us.” “Jerry said we handled the situation perfectly by not causing alarm,” Danz adds. “Jerry suggested perhaps the cub was tired of salmon and wanted to try some filet of sole. I was not afraid, just intent on keeping quiet and not causing alarm.”

It’s the second time this summer that a photographer has had a close encounter with a grizzly bear in Katmai: photographer Matt Addington got within inches of a grazing grizzly bear, capturing some incredible close-up images. Despite people joking that the bear was eating a salad while preparing for steak, Addington described it as “one of the more peaceful, serene, surreal moments that I’ve ever had.” Similar to what happened to Danz, the bears were initially hundreds of yards away but naturally drifted over to where they were sitting, untroubled by human presence. Katmai is home to 2,000 brown bears and at this time of year, they eat up to 120 lbs of grass a day to prepare for winter hibernation.

Source: Baby Bear Nibbles on Photographer’s Boot | PetaPixel

Who builds his upper chambers in the heavens and founds his vault upon the earth; who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth— the LORD is his name.
Amos 9:6

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Bear, 2 cubs spotted in Auburn as Placer County bear sightings continue

Mother bear walking with two cubs along a forest trail

A mother bear and her two cubs were spotted Tuesday in Auburn, marking the latest after a string of recent bear sightings across western Placer County. The Auburn Police Department said the bears were seen near Lincoln Way and Russell Road. “A friendly reminder to our neighbors: We live in bear country! Please keep an eye on your surroundings, secure garbage and food sources, and bring pets and other animals inside if a bear is in the area,” Auburn police wrote on social media, noting that bear sightings are not uncommon for the area. The sighting follows recent bear reports in nearby cities in western Placer County including Lincoln, Rocklin and Roseville. In Lincoln, police said a bear was reported several times Friday in the Sun City Lincoln Hills community, with sightings reported between Wagon Wheel Lane and Overland Lane.

Its last reported location was near Oak Tree Lane and Highway 193. Rocklin police also issued an alert last week after a bear was reported near Argonaut Avenue, Sweetwater Drive and Aiken Dairy Road. The following day, several reports came in from Roseville residents who spotted a bear near Foothills Boulevard between Blue Oaks and Pleasant Grove boulevards. It remains unclear whether the reports in Auburn, Lincoln, Rocklin and Roseville involve any of the same animals. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been notified of the recent sightings and has been monitoring bear activity in the region. Wildlife officials have noted that this time of year can bring increased bear activity as mother bears push their cubs out on their own, sometimes sending younger bears into areas they would not normally go. Bears that wander into residential areas will often eventually leave on their own, officials said.

Source: Bear, 2 cubs spotted in Auburn as Placer County bear sightings continue – CBS Sacramento

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:14

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Video shows bear cub trapped inside a Southern California storm drain, another stuck in tree

mother black bear and cub in alaska forest

Video shows a mother bear looking up at a tree in Monrovia, where her two cubs are playing around in the branches. Before they made it up the tree, one of them had been stuck up in front of someone’s house for three days and the other little one fell into a storm drain earlier and needed help crawling back out.  Anna Howie and her dog Loki have been checking in on the bear family for days.

She says the mother bear has been going up in the tree to nurse the cub that won’t come down.  “This is the way we like to see it done where they just monitor the situation because eventually that baby will come down,” Howie said.  Howie says the cub stuck in the tree has been crying and making “horrible noises.” “She just scaled that tree, sat up there and nursed her baby and then the other one saw what was going on and went up and started nursing as well,” Howie said. Cort Klopping, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, says the mother bear is working to get her cubs together.

The CDFW says their biologists are in the neighborhood monitoring the situation and they’re hoping the cub will eventually learn their mother’s lesson and climb down with her. “Our biologists might need to capture and relocate the bears together to a nearby suitable habitat within their home range so they’re familiar with the habitat and know where to forage,” Klopping said. That’s comforting news to neighbors. Many are still upset about a different Monrovia mother bear named Blondie, who was recently euthanized after the CDFW linked her to two human encounters where she reportedly swatted at people. Her cubs were relocated to the San Diego Humane Society. 

Source: Video shows bear cub trapped inside a Southern California storm drain, another stuck in tree – CBS Los Angeles

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Mark 8:36

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