Tranquilized bear stuck in Oxnard tree

Police, firefighters and wildlife officials were in a standoff with a 200-pound black bear on the loose early Tuesday in a residential area of Oxnard after it scaled a tree and was shot with tranquilizer darts, authorities said.

Residents first spotted the bear running around the residential area on Vineyard Avenue about 2:15 a.m., said Oxnard Police spokesman David Keith.

Officers arrived on the scene and kept track of the bear as it ran through the neighborhood. The animal ran into Santa Clara Cemetery a few blocks away and climbed a tree next to a condominium complex.

The bear descended and ran for a while longer before scaling another tree in the cemetery, where it found a perch about 25 feet above the ground.

Wardens from the state Department of Fish and Game shot the animal with tranquilizer darts, hoping to capture it and release it into a remote area.

By 8 a.m., three wardens were on the scene and firefighters climbed a ladder and worked to hoist the sedated animal into a harness and lower it from the tree without injuring it.

"He seems to be nearly asleep," Keith said. "The problem at this point is that he's found some pretty sturdy branches to rest on."

Authorities are at a loss for how the bear, a rare sight in any residential area, made its way to a heavily populated part of the coastal city of Oxnard, just a few blocks from the 101 Freeway.

One explanation is that bears are simply flourishing in Southern California, according to Harry Morse, a spokesman for the state Department of Fish and Game.

“What we’ve seen all the way up the coast is an increase in bear sightings and bear incidents,” Morse said.

Police in Monrovia — where bear sightings are more common — received 464 calls regarding bears in 2009, according to Morse.

“Bear populations all up and down the coast have been doing quite well,” he said. “Last year, just outside of Oxnard, we had a bear outside an apartment complex."

The most likely scenario for how the bear ended up in Oxnard, according to Morse, is that it wandered down from the hills during the night, crossing fields filled with inviting strawberries in blossom.

“They move at night mainly,” Morse said. “They just keep moving and following little pathways, and they are suddenly way away from where they would normally be seen.”

--Tony Barboza and Carla Hall

Photo:  With the aid of a ladder truck, the Oxnard Fire Department  lowers a tranquilized  bear down from a tree in Santa Clara Cemetery in Oxnard Tuesday morning. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[BeautyQueen]

Bears are such beautiful, powerful creatures. I'm glad they're still thriving. What a sight to be cruising down the road of your local neighborhood, glance up in a tree, and see a bear sleeping there. It's a glimpse at nature in its purest form... and you don't have to be out camping to see it! Sure, they're dangerous. But they're also fascinating. ...Just my two cents...

[Jim Q. Citizen]

The bear was probably found or stolen from its mother when it was a baby and raised by a human family in a single family residence. No doubt as it continued to grow it either escaped or was turned loose and found itself lost in the large suburban housing tracts. It's lucky it wasn't hit by a car or harmed by frightened home dwellers as it roamed about the city. Hopefully this bear can be safely removed from the tree and returned to the wilds successfully.

[SeanBoy]

Poor beartie, one minute you were hungry and looking for some strawberries to eat, and the next you got strange creatures chasing you and shooting you with tranquilizer darts.

[Mat]

It's too bad we have so invaded their natural territory. STOP BUILDING!

[Kim]

I sure hope our beloved California Fish & Game finds it in their heart to transport this bear way up in the mountains to release it, and to NOT euthanize it the way they seem to do with all these bears now.

[dpb]

Stop building, says Matt. After all, he already has his nice and comfortable place so there is no need for anymore homes for anyone else.

[normanmoore]

If they had been watching Shepard Smith on Fox News they would have placed a trampoline under the tree to catch the bear. I wonder if he will get this bear story on?

[emilio]

worst hangover ever.

it seems absurd to suggest that this is because someone tried to raise this bear privately. that is a fairly full-grown bear - would someone really have had that around their house, mansion or not?

bears move around; they're moderately migratory animals. there's no complex explanation here.

[cora]

all i can say is at least they didnt kill it like the last bear... poor thing.

[marebear]

does anyone else find this article hilarious?