The camera caught a close-up of a bear in the backyard of a house during a nighttime walk in the snow Thursday in the mountain community of Wrightwood.
The bear, apparently in no rush to go anywhere, emerged from the darkness, leaving a trail of tracks in the snow behind the house in the mountains of San Bernardino County. The chubby visitor appeared to briefly investigate a home security camera on a brick wall before jumping into a yard.
A small dog can be heard barking through a door pane as the bear was out of sight. Another camera showed the healthy-looking bear climbing a chain-link fence.
A homeowner in Simi Valley, Calif., called police saying a bear had broken into his home.
The bear, which may have recently woken up from a long winter nap, was probably looking for food.
What kinds of bears are there in California?
Black bears, which can have different colors of fur, are not true hibernators, but are able to go dormant for several months during the winter, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The three hallmarks of a true hibernator are reduced metabolism, slower heart rate and lower body temperature, according to the National Park Service.
During the winter, black bears maintain a body temperature of 88 degrees or higher, cut their metabolic rate in half, and live off their own fat, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Residents of Porter Ranch were surprised Saturday morning when they saw a bear walking through the aisles of a Ralphs supermarket.
Black bears like to feed on plants, insects, nuts, berries and anything they deem edible, such as the contents of garbage cans. If food is scarce in the wild, bears are likely to forage elsewhere, moving closer to humans and residential areas.
California’s black bear population has increased over the past two decades, from about 10,000 to 15,000 in the early 1980s to between 25,000 and 30,000. That’s a conservative estimate, according to the Department of ‘State of Fish and Wildlife.
How do you recognize black bears?
Black bears, known for their small, narrow heads and small ears, have a coat that varies in color from tan or brown to black. Females weigh around 200 pounds and males can weigh 350 pounds, with some giants weighing over 600 pounds.
About half of the state’s bear population is found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and areas to the north and west. Only 10% of the black bear population is estimated to inhabit west-central and southwestern California.
It happened in Bristol, Connecticut.
Although it appears on the state flag, the fearsome grizzly bear is no longer found in the wild in California. The last grizzly bear seen in California was shot in the early 1920s.
This story first appeared on Telemundo 52’s sister station NBCLA. Click on here to read this story in English.