Bear makes itself at home in Calif. neighborhood

A brown bear has made multiple appearances in a Pasadena, Calif., neighborhood in the past week, putting on a show for residents but so far eluding capture.

The bear was spotted Thursday wandering through a Pasadena neighborhood, “sitting up, rolling around and even gnawing on a fence,” according to KABC.

A bear was also encountered on Tuesday, but two tourists who walked out of a house without realizing there was a bear right next to them.

“I felt something brushing against my leg. Once I closed the door, I turned around, I shout, ‘It’s a bear! It’s a bear!’” Bob McKeown told KABC. He received a small cut in the leg.

It is unknown whether Tuesday’s bear made a second appearance Thursday, or if there are multiple bears meandering through the neighborhood.

Officials told NBC Los Angeles the bear doesn’t seem to pose a threat to public safety and is likely heading back to the forest. Animal control officers were patrolling the streets with shotguns to monitor the animal.

“He might be just knocking, looking around for some garbage cans, looking for something to eat and then once he couldn’t find something, or he found something, he’ll work his way back to an area where he feels safe, which is suitable habitat,” said J.C. Healy with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Contact Stephanie Grimes at sgrimes@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @steph_grimes