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Curious Bear Cub Gives Pasadena Residents A Fright

PASADENA (CBSLA.com) — A brown bear cub made itself at home in a Pasadena neighborhood Thursday afternoon.

The cub was first spotted around 3:30 p.m. and made his way along the 3400 block of Fairpoint Street, the 1500 block of Old House Road and the 1500 block of Sierra Madre Villa Avenue.

Foy urged people to not approach the animal and wildlife officials trailed the bear and tried to keep away residents.

KCAL9 reporter Suraya Fadel had an up-close-and-personal experience with the cub. The young bear followed the lights on her photographer's video camera as they rushed into their news van. The intrepid animal circled the van, taking the opportunity to peer in through the window, before taking off to scour a dumpster for food.

Bear Sighting In Pasadena
(credit: CBS)

"These particular bears are looking for food, especially the juvenile bears, are trying to find a place to live," according to Lt. Patrick Foy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. "Unfortunately, there are human sources of food like garbage...and in the form of pets. The best we can do is prevent the access of food in the first place."

An animal control officer eventually resorted to using a bean bag gun to get the bear to head back into the woods.

The officer surmised that the cub was likely recently separated from its mother and learning to fend for itself.

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