SIERRA MADRE, Calif. (KABC) — A Sierra Madre man got a big surprise when a bear walked into his kitchen through his back door.
Jason Wightman was washing dishes Tuesday evening when the incident happened.
He said the bear didn't make a sound when it entered through the back door, and he was surprised when he turned around and saw the large animal just a few feet away.
He grabbed his cell phone and began recounting the events.
In the video, he can be heard saying, “Are you a good guy? You're in my house.”
When the young, untagged bear finally walked away, Wightman realized he wasn't alone: The video showed another bear peeking out from behind some brush.
“Just you two? I can see you there.”
Neighbors who saw the two bears believe they are cubs that had recently been separated from their mother.
“Most of the time, they're still playing with each other, so you'll see them rolling around and wrestling,” said Sierra Madre resident Bruce Anderson. “For example, I've seen them on outdoor furniture. They'll climb on the furniture and play, and then fall off. It's cute.”
But with all the cuteness comes concern that the bears will become bolder and habituated to humans. Encounters with bears have become all too common in the Sierra Madre and surrounding foothills, but so far none have turned aggressive.
A bear broke into a Monrovia home on Friday and made off with Oreos, which neighbors believe are the bear's favorite snack.
“Obviously there's a concern because we need to reprimand them so they can live as wild bears, rather than getting them used to humans,” Anderson added.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is currently working on a plan to secure further assistance from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“The first step is to encourage the state to have wildlife experts on-hand so they can respond in real time to any reports of sightings,” Superintendent Katherine Burger said.
Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
