Bear roams, swims and takes a tranquilizer-induced nap in Granada Hills
GRANADA HILLS, Calif. (FOX 11/ CNS) - A bear was roaming through a neighborhood in Granada Hills Tuesday afternoon.
With his tranquilizer-rifle aimed and brown bear in his crosshairs, the game warden sedated the bear that had made lots of tracks through Granada Hills exploring front yards, back yards and swimming pools this week.
The bear was spotted shortly before 12 p.m. in the 13000 block of Whistler Avenue underneath a tree before making its way into a backyard pool.
The bear believed to be between 3 and 5-years-old … 250 to 300 pounds… slowly lumbered to a shady hillside spot to take a tranquilizer-induced nap.
And, as he did neighbors told us things like,"I hope they're taking all the steps to make sure the bear is safe. I think it's scary but he was in the neighborhood."
Another neighbor told us, "Most of the time they don't harm people… they can be very unpredictable." Which is why police kept the curious back. But, neighbors had seen this bear a few times this week. One said, "For the past five days or so the bear has been coming down the mountainside... knocking over food… trash cans...doing whatever it wants."
Police, who asked people to shelter in their homes were, for the most part, cooperative.
LAPD Captain Steve Lurie told reporters at the scene, "Its tempting to want to take pictures…get close… it's not something you see everyday… its adorable… but if it gets spooked or scared can act very unpredictably."
But, predictably, wildlife officials placed the sedated bear in a blanket, placed him in the back of a pickup truck and will release him back into the wilderness.