Bear climbs 40 feet up residential tree; takes a nap for several hours and still on the loose

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. (FOX 11) - La Canada Flintridge neighbors woke up Wednesday to deputies trying to chase down a repeat offender.

"We heard them say to stay inside and lock your doors...that was a little scary," said resident Mary Robbins.

The suspect was a three-year-old, 200 pound California Black Bear. It was first spotted 2 miles away south of Foothill Blvd and then jumped into a pool, trespassing into private yards.

"Just looking for food and water, that's all bears do," said Lt. Marty Wall with Fish and Wildlife.

She's known as Red #2 and she's the same bear wildlife crews removed from a Pasadena pine tree Memorial Day weekend.

They tagged her and dropped her several miles up Mt Lukens.

But she came back.

Neighbors say they saw her around 8:30 Wednesday morning.

Fish and Wildlife avoided using tranquilizers this time, instead, they nudged her toward the Angeles National Forest.

"It's only a hundred yards from where we'd like it to be," said Wall.

She cooperated but before reaching home, she climbed 40 feet up a Jarvis Avenue tree for a five hour nap.

"They say sometimes it can stay up in that tree all day," said Wall.

The bear finally came down the tree around 7 p.m.

Fish and Wildlife crews were able to avoid tranquilizers. They said they prefer focusing on using bean bags, rubber bullets, even sirens to encourage bears to return home.

Fish and Wildlife officials said the 200 pound bear was out of the tree and scooted back into her habitat.

But it appears she didn't stay there long.

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