A resident of Pine Grove awoke to a commotion early Sunday morning to find a 400-pound black bear on her back porch. Carrie Harmon, who lives near Gayla Drive, says the bear was “sitting on its hind legs, with its forearms wrapped around her trash can” and was devouring her leftovers. Harmon attempted to scare the animal away by screaming and making noise, but the bear was unfazed. Later that same day, the bear was spotted in Gayla Manor, near the development’s private park, where neighborhood children were picking blackberries. Another local resident, Helen Foraker, who was at the park around that same time, was distressed to learn of the bear sighting. “I was just there with my kids! I’m not going to let them go by themselves for a while.”

Other residents also reported that their trash was knocked over and strewn about. Josh Bush, a Wildlife Biologist with the State Department of Fish and Game, says that in these situations, the department will first evaluate whether the bear is scared of people, and determine if there are attractants in the area, such as trash and pet food. If all trash is put away at night, or kept in a bear-proof trash container, and no other attractants are present, the department can issue a depredation permit, which allows for a trapper to catch and kill the animal.

Of course, this option is used as a last resort. Fish and Game prefers that residents follow some simple rules to reduce the nuisance of bears, such as putting your trash inside at night, and only putting out your cans the morning of trash pickup. Also, bring in pet food and other items with a scent. You can also install outdoor automatic lights, which may help to keep those pesky bears at bay. And, strangely enough, bears can also be attracted to your BBQ, so cleaning the grill will not only keep the bears away, but will also save you the job the next time you break out the steaks. Bush recommends using ammonia or bleach to clean outside, and says “basically, reduce all scents.” Fish and Game promotes its program, “Keep Me Wild,” which provides information and instructions on coexisting with wild animals. You can find more information on the department’s website at www.dfg.ca.gov\keepmewild. And of course, if you encounter a bear, do not run; instead, face the animal, make noise and try to appear as large as possible.