This article was underwritten in part by the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund for Social Justice, a proud, innovative supporter of local news. To make a contribution go to sbcan.org/journalism_fund.
Witnesses reported a bear in Carpinteria Thursday morning. The furry visitor was seen near Rancho Granada Mobile Home Park, around residential areas and the nearby creek.
This bear sighting comes nearly two weeks after Carpinteria’s Code Compliance and Animal Control team found evidence of bear activity near Cameo Road and Casitas Pass Road, about a half mile away.
“That evidence included bear droppings indicating recent presence in the area, which is also near creek and open space habitats frequented by wildlife,” the City of Carpinteria said in a press release.
The city says that a resident of Rancho Granada also reported seeing a bear foraging through trash cans the night before. Bears are opportunistic omnivores that eat trash.
“Eating is their favorite hobby,” writes the California Department of Parks and Recreation on their webpage.
This bear is at least the third one to visit the South Coast’s urban areas since April. It’s difficult to tell, as bears seen in the Isla Vista area this April and May were not tagged with tracking info. This year, the Department of Fish and Wildlife released a conservation and management plan saying there were approximately 60,000 black bears in the state. Details on how many bears are in Santa Barbara County are not readily available.
The City of Carpinteria said that people should use caution in the areas where the bear was seen. It also asks people to secure their trash and compost and keep pet food and small animals inside to avoid attracting the bear. No one should approach or try to feed the bear.
Carpinteria told the Independent that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have been notified of the bear in both instances. It said as far as they know, the bear returned to the open space behind the home park.
Non-emergency bear sightings should be reported to Animal Control at (805) 755-4418. In case of emergencies, dial 9-1-1 immediately.
