There is a pretty angry bear wandering around out there today; if you find yourself around the Live Oak Canyon area, you might want to be on guard. We kind of can’t blame the bear for being pissed at humans right now though, since his heightened state of agitation is because an off-duty cop shot and wounded him Tuesday night.
Bears have been known to make their way into the suburban area fairly frequently, but generally it’s not a very big deal. They splash around in backyard pools but otherwise pretty much keep to themselves, serving as just another example of the interesting urban wildlife experience that comes with living in Southern California. This particular incident, however, took a turn for the scary, as CBS reports.
The police officer says he was out with his children when one bear from a family of three became aggressive and charged at the humans. He pulled out his gun and shot the bear from just feet away, but only wounded it, and all three bears were able to flee. Authorities are concerned because a wounded bear on the loose can act erratically or become violent. Now an intense search for the injured animal is underway.
Should you find yourself up close with a bear, be sure to practice good safety protocols. That includes taking shelter if you can and making loud, clanging noises with tin cans or pots. No matter what, even if you’re really freaked out, resist the urge to scream or make any other vocalization that the bear might perceive as ‘bear like’ because that may create a sense that you’re a threat.
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