Large bear loose near Hansen Dam draws police, wildlife crews and onlookers

Large bear loose near Hansen Dam draws police, wildlife crews and onlookers

by: Josh DuBose, KTLA News Channel 5

A massive bear roaming loose in the Hansen Dam area of the San Fernando Valley prompted a heavy presence of police and wildlife officials, along with crowds of onlookers hoping to catch a glimpse of the animal on Sunday.

Details remain limited, and it’s unclear exactly when the bear was first spotted. Runner Ricardo Villarreal said he was jogging north on Osborne Street when he saw the bear climbing onto a fence.

“I thought he was going to attack me,” Villarreal said. “The police officer said, ‘Hey, man, you better run because he’s coming this way.’”

Villarreal said the officer had the bear directly in front of him and fired a weapon at the animal but missed.

“It was scary,” Villarreal said, adding that he’s been jogging at Hansen Dam for years and has never seen a bear in the area before.

Video from the scene, which remains ongoing, showed police establishing a perimeter in part of the outdoor recreational area while personnel with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife responded to the park.

At one point, the bear breached fencing in the area and was seen standing next to a map of Hansen Dam. It later ran off and was spotted high up in a tree nearby.

This is the second San Fernando Valley bear sighting this weekend.

A healthy-looking black bear caused a bit of a commotion on the outskirts of Sunland Saturday evening. The bear was spotted wandering front yards and raiding trashcans on Wheatland and Dale avenues.  Police advised residents to remain calm and stay indoors. The bear eventually moved on from the area. 

So far, there have been no reports of the Hansen Dam bear acting aggressively, and it remains unclear how officials plan to safely remove the animal from the area.

Full Story on KTLA 5 NEWS - https://ktla.com/news/local-news/hansen-dam-bear-sighting/