California town bracing for spring black bear invasion

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Residents of a California town are bracing for an invasion of black bears as the animals are emerging from hibernation.

People living in the small community of Pine Mountain Club, 140 km northwest of Los Angeles, are preparing for the unwanted guests after more than 560 bear-related incidents since July 2023, up from 319 documented the year before.

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“Honestly, it’s out of control,” one resident told NBC News about the bear situation.

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Bears have entered homes, vehicles and grocery stores looking for food, according to footage shared to social media in the past.

Stan Enzgo patrols overnight to scare away the bears and keep them from entering residences and other property.

Some residents blamed wildfires as a reason for the bears invading town, while others pointed at people who provide food for the animals.

“We’ve got a few residents who think it’s their job to feed the bears, so they contribute to the problem,” said Todd Griesen, general manager and COO of the Pine Mountain Club Property Owners Association.

“We’re working with the authorities to deal with that.”

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One resident who has lived in Pine Mountain Club for more than 15 years said he has grown accustomed to seeing bears roaming the town in search of their next meal.

“It was one of those things that we realized over time that the bears did not want to hurt you or hurt your family or something like that,” Ian Sawrey told ABC affiliate KERO in Bakersfield. “Their goal was just to get food.”

Sawrey, who is a retired police officer and military engineer, said he didn’t think he would need to keep the animals away from his home when he moved to the town.

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“We basically built obstacles and defences to stop the enemy from accessing certain places. Never thought I’d need those types of tools or thoughts in Pine Mountain Club,” said Sawrey.

And he knows how devastating it can be to have bears break into a home and cause havoc for property owners.

“One homeowner got over $30,000, $40,000 in damage from the bears having a rave or party in his house.”

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