I Watched A Bear Eat From A Bear-proof Trash Can

I was explaining nan location of my broken-down car successful Angeles National Forest to nan tow motortruck dispatcher erstwhile I abruptly recovered myself shouting.

“Bear!” I yelled.

A achromatic carnivore ambled crossed nan roadworthy and into Red Box Picnic Area. I hollered astatine nan bear, arsenic did different personification successful nan lot.

The carnivore ignored america both, focused connected wherever it would find its meal that night: a bear-proof trash can.

In this version of The Wild, our play outdoors newsletter, I will stock nan 3 carnivore encounters I had past week pinch achromatic bears successful Angeles National Forest. They were my first, 2nd and 3rd times to acquisition bruins successful nan San Gabriels. The 3rd time, erstwhile a carnivore slapped my backpacking tent, was nan astir memorable moment. We’ll get to that later.

For anyone emotion rusty connected nan champion people of action erstwhile you spot a achromatic carnivore successful our section mountains, here’s a speedy refresher connected the tips I sewage antecedently from a conservation biologist.

• 🙅🏃Don’t run. You will look for illustration prey.
• 🗣️ Let bears cognize you’re there. Say thing loudly and calmly — don’t shriek! — for illustration “Hey, bear!” successful a heavy voice.
• 💪 Make yourself big. Put your hands up and retired — don’t shingle them astir — and effort to get nan bear’s attraction without indicating that you’re frightened aliases that you’re a threat to that bear.
• 👀👀👀 Keep your oculus connected nan bear. But don’t look it successful nan eye. That tin beryllium perceived arsenic threatening aliases for illustration you’re trying to beryllium dominant.
• 🤔 Observe its behaviour and respond accordingly. To study much astir this information of my tips, cheque retired No. 4 connected my list.
• 🏔️ Carry carnivore spray. Bear spray is ineligible to transportation successful Angeles National Forest and mostly connected nationalist wood onshore unless different posted. It is prohibited successful Yosemite National Park and different California nationalist parks.

A achromatic carnivore wanders on Canyon Road successful March 2020 successful Arcadia.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Anyone who hikes successful Angeles National Forest is apt acquainted pinch Red Box Picnic Area. It’s wherever adventurers parkland to hike up to Strawberry Peak aliases different adjacent trails, for illustration nan Gabrielino Trail, which I wrote astir last week. That’s really I recovered myself concisely stranded successful nan forest.

I had spent nan time hiking past gorgeous wildflowers and splashing astir successful nan Arroyo Seco. I sewage backmost to my car astir 7:30 p.m., discovered my car’s artillery was dormant and, aft realizing I had cellphone reception, called for help.

As I waited, I chatted pinch a bully Samaritan, an outdoors female reference a book successful her car who decided she’d hold pinch maine until a work technician arrived.

The carnivore arrived successful nan batch astir 8:30 p.m. As nan sun dipped little into nan horizon, we watched nan quiet fluffball sound complete nan brownish metallic trash tin that was specifically designed to support its type out.

A carnivore pinch its caput wrong a bear-proof trash can.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

After knocking nan trash tin down, nan carnivore easy shoved its arms inside. Over nan adjacent respective minutes, it many times shook nan tin toward its (adorable) face. It was benignant of for illustration watching a quality shingle a murphy spot container toward their rima to get nan very past bits of delicious fried starch.

My caller friend and I agreed, successful each our travels passim California, we hadn’t seen thing for illustration this. I contacted nan California Department of Fish and Wildlife to inquire them: How normal is it for a carnivore to deftly navigate nan mechanisms of a trash tin built to defy it?

“It’s beautiful uncommon that nan bears really break in,” agency spokesperson Cort Klopping said. “When I was talking to our biologist astir it yesterday and a mates group successful nan office, nan reactions were each benignant of like, ‘Wow.’ Either personification didn’t unafraid that point aliases that carnivore was an absolute hulk of a carnivore to get into a bear-proof aliases bear-resistant trash can. ... I was joking pinch nan biologist that I deliberation I’ve really had problem opening those.

“You were witnesser to what I would mention to arsenic a beautiful uncommon sight,” Klopping added.

I’d known location was a carnivore successful nan area erstwhile I started my hike earlier that day. At Switzer Picnic Area, I publication signs posted astir nan picnic tables informing visitors, “Active Bear Area: Do not provender bears aliases time off nutrient unattended.” The flier featured an image of a carnivore opinionated connected a picnic table, eating done immoderate family’s meal.

A motion posted astatine nan Switzer Picnic Area successful Angeles National Forest.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

Angeles National Forest spokesperson Keila Vizcarra said successful an email that since past August, wood officials person received astatine slightest 4 reports from nan nationalist and unit astir 2 bears progressive successful nan Switzer area.

Earlier this month, recreation unit spotted 2 bears astatine nan Switzer Picnic Area eating nutrient near unattended astatine a picnic table. They notified authorities wildlife officials.

“The animals whitethorn beryllium nan aforesaid bears seen past year, but it is difficult to corroborate because tag numbers are not ever visible aliases provided; successful this case, 1 of nan bears did not look to beryllium tagged,” Vizcarra said.

Forest unit usage various hazing methods to discourage bears and different wildlife from eating quality food, for illustration making large noises, securing aliases repairing trash cans and educating visitors astir really to support their nutrient safe from animals, she said.

“A awesome contributing facet continues to beryllium unsecured aliases unattended food, which attracts bears from agelong distances,” Vizcarra said.

The carnivore astatine Red Box vanished its trash-inspired tasting paper and past walked past our cars. We some honked, but it was truthful unfazed, I wondered aloud whether it was deaf. (It wasn’t.)

It past headed southbound from nan parking lot, and we didn’t spot it again. I had already planned to constitute this week’s newsletter astir that experience.

Then I went backpacking arsenic a small dainty to myself.

On Friday afternoon, my dog, Maggie May, and I headed retired from adjacent Pasadena down nan Gabrielino Trail pinch a scheme to campy overnight astatine nan Gould Mesa Trail Camp. Despite loving nan outdoors, I’d ne'er been backpacking, but aft my parents bought maine a shelter and slumber pad for my day successful precocious May, I was itching to go. Gould Mesa is adjacent to a city. It’s adjacent to nan Arroyo Seco pinch h2o to select and reachable by a short two-mile mostly level hike. It felt for illustration nan cleanable first trip.

About a mile in, a upland biker warned america of a “big bear, really large bear” astatine nan campground earlier he sped off. A female hiker told maine nan carnivore was average, astir apt 5 feet connected its haunches. Others hadn’t seen it.

I was talking to different upland biker, who was telling maine nan carnivore had been progressive successful nan area for astir a month, erstwhile a man came racing down nan trail, shouting astir really nan carnivore was fierce and dangerous. The man said he’d lunged astatine nan bear, trying to protect his food, and proceeded to make respective choices that would apt beryllium recovered connected a “What not to do erstwhile you brushwood a bear” list. Maggie and I continued onward.

We arrived astatine nan campground astir 4:30 p.m. and didn’t spot anything. I asked a mother and boy group up astatine nan tract adjacent to excavation astir nan bear, and they pointed to a ample seashore unrecorded oak wherever a small, young carnivore laid complete a heavy branch, its mini feet dangling down, correct supra nan trail. One logic hikers hadn’t seen nan carnivore was that they’d walked correct nether it.

A young carnivore lies connected nan branch of a ample seashore unrecorded oak supra nan Gabrielino Trail adjacent Pasadena.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

The carnivore had entered nan campground from adjacent nan river, and without nan mother-son duo realizing that nan carnivore was approaching them, it grabbed their nutrient correct disconnected their picnic table. The mom told maine that she considered trying to propulsion nan nutrient back, but nan carnivore made noises suggesting that it preferred she didn’t. It past near nan campground, and presumably aft eating nan repast that her boy told maine had “a batch of protein” successful it, nan carnivore climbed into nan character and took a nap.

I’d camped successful areas pinch bears before, including successful Kings Canyon National Park wherever bears came into nan campground each night. This carnivore wasn’t being aggressive. Instead, it seemed young and for illustration it was testing retired really easy it was to get nutrient from these weird animals — we humans — successful its backyard.

I decided to stay, particularly aft nan carnivore near astir 7:30 p.m., and nary of america saw it again. The campground was full, and 2 of us, myself included, had carnivore spray.

Maggie and I sewage into nan shelter astir 9 p.m. and soon fell dormant to nan saccharine serenade of frogs and toads singing their nightly songs.

Then, astatine 2:39 a.m., I woke up to nan sound of thing slapping nan area of my shelter adjacent to my head.

“What nan f—?” I screamed.

I laic there, bosom racing, listening.

I had put my tent’s rainfall alert on, truthful I couldn’t spot outside, but I could perceive nan carnivore arsenic it left. A ample whoosh-whoosh sound headed distant from my tent.

For nan adjacent 20 minutes, I listened intently to each azygous sound nan wood made. Then, aft checking that my carnivore spray and outer communicator were adjacent by, I fell backmost asleep. In nan morning, I recovered a mini trim successful my rainfall alert that nan bear’s paw had left. My dada later suggested that I day nan spread pinch a marker.

A mini trim near aft a carnivore swiped nan rainfall alert of Wild writer Jaclyn Cosgrove’s backpacking tent.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

Maggie and I near astir 10:30 a.m. to hit nan day’s heat. Once astatine my car and pinch beardown cellphone reception, I must admit that I opened ChatGPT. I don’t person a carnivore biologist connected velocity dial — yet! — and I wanted to talk to personification astir why nan carnivore deed my tent.

I explained that location wasn’t immoderate nutrient aliases toiletries successful my tent. I had packed everything wrong a carnivore canister that I past placed wrong nan carnivore vault successful nan campground. The chatbot and I soon agreed: This carnivore was apt making its rounds for a late-night snack, hoping personification had dropped a marshmallow aliases basking dog, erstwhile it encountered my tent. Maybe my shelter was successful its way. Maybe it looked weird.

Later, I called Klopping pinch nan California Department of Fish and Wildlife again.

When we’d said earlier successful nan week astir nan trash-can bear, I’d asked him whether that bruin was astatine consequence of euthanasia.

I told him that Goldie, a mama bear euthanized by nan authorities earlier this twelvemonth aft swiping astatine and injuring 2 people, was apical of mind for me, on pinch Victor, a beloved bear successful Mammoth who was euthanized successful 2024.

Goldie was nan first California achromatic carnivore to beryllium euthanized successful 2026, Times unit writer Clara Harter reported. “There were 2 bears euthanized successful 2025, 3 bears successful 2024 and five  bears successful 2023, according to Fish and Wildlife,” Harter wrote.

Klopping said nan trash-can carnivore was conscionable retired for an easy repast and would beryllium classified arsenic a “no harm, nary foul bear,” defined by nan agency arsenic “a carnivore that has strayed into an area wherever an incident could occur, has not engaged successful nuisance activity aliases caused spot damage, and whitethorn require assistance to return to adjacent suitable habitat.”

He said it was unlikely, based connected what I reported, that nan carnivore would beryllium moved since it was already successful a wood acold from immoderate neighborhood. Instead, nan only action would astir apt beryllium that personification unafraid nan bear-proof trash tin truthful it really functions properly. (Sorry, bear.)

“As overmuch arsenic I don’t want to opportunity it, this carnivore is doing carnivore things,” Klopping said. “This is simply a earthy point for a carnivore to do. It’s searching retired calories to prolong itself — they’re there, readily available. This carnivore knows really to get to them.”

When I called Klopping backmost to talk astir nan carnivore (or bears) astatine nan campground, I was much worried. I reported nan incident done nan agency’s website because I cognize its biologists usage nan information for respective reasons, including discerning erstwhile to instrumentality bear-resistant measures successful an area aliases relocate a bear. But again, I worried astir what would hap to nan carnivore aliases bears.

A achromatic carnivore peeks its caput astir nan vault toilets successful nan Red Box Picnic Area successful Angeles National Forest.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

Klopping had told maine it was uncommon for nan agency to euthanize a bear: California Department of Fish and Wildlife received 2,735 calls and reports regarding achromatic bears successful 2025, including immoderate duplicates wherever aggregate group were reporting nan aforesaid incident, compared pinch nan 2 carnivore euthanizations that aforesaid year.

During our 2nd call, he told maine that a biologist would reappraisal nan study I made and mightiness telephone maine to get further information, but again, this wasn’t “aggressive” behavior, he said.

When carnivore yearlings abstracted from their mothers astatine astir 18 months aged — which often happens in June — Klopping said nan agency will get reports of these teen bears wandering person to populated areas.

“You would usage nan word ‘testing boundaries’ — that whitethorn person been precisely what happened here,” he said. “Odds are beautiful bully you astir apt frightened it conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic it frightened you.”

I dream nan bears I encountered soon return to foraging for wood delicacies that don’t travel successful fast-food wrappers.

As absorbing arsenic past week was, I really dream nan only bears I spot nan remainder of nan summertime are astatine nan pridefulness festivals I attend. They’re perfectly invited to spell camping pinch me!

3 things to do

Cyclists thrust down an unfastened thoroughfare astatine a erstwhile CicLAvia event.

(CicLAvia Los Angeles)

1. Frolic done nan streets successful South L.A.
CicLAvia will big a free car-free unfastened streets arena from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday done nan Leimert and Exposition Park neighborhoods. The 3.6-mile pop-up parkland includes a short conception of Crenshaw Boulevard and mostly stretches on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard from Crenshaw to Figueroa Street. Visitors are invited to walk, skate, bike, play and research on nan route. For much details, sojourn ciclavia.org.

2. Celebrate Pride on nan stream successful Long Beach
Friends of nan L.A. River will co-host an LGBTQ Pride quality locomotion from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday done nan Dominguez Gap Wetlands pinch nan California Native Plant Society South Coast Chapter. Plant enthusiast Tory Jaimez will guideline nan walk, school participants astir section ecology. Register astatine support.folar.org.

3. Listen to nan birds successful Huntington Beach
We Explore Earth, a section outdoors organization group, will co-host pinch Save Orange Hills and Friends of Shipley Nature Center a serene vertebrate locomotion from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday astatine Shipley Nature Center successful Huntington Beach. Guides will thief participants study astir section vertebrate type and ecosystems. Register astatine eventbrite.com.

The must-read

Perched atop a gangly conifer tree, resident bald eagles Jackie, left, and Shadow protect their latest offspring successful their 5-foot-wide nest. The nest is viewable via a unrecorded provender from nan nest cam.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Friends of Big Bear Valley, nan nonprofit down a celebrated eagle nest camera, is rushing to raise $10 cardinal by July 31 to bargain onshore that could go a lakeside gated community, starring to nan demolition of important residence that personage birds Jackie and Shadow usage for foraging, on pinch different wildlife who telephone it home. Times unit writer Lila Seidman wrote that if nan nonprofit tin raise nan money, past nan San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust would conserve nan astir 63 acres and mightiness transportation it to nan U.S. Forest Service (a communal believe of onshore conservancies). That’s if they meet nan July deadline. “Failure is not an option,” said Jenny Voisard, media and website head for Friends of Big Bear Valley. “We’re not going to fto them build connected it.”

Happy adventuring,

P.S.

After Goldie nan carnivore was euthanized, lawmakers listened to nan public’s request for a much transparent process of erstwhile nan California Department of Fish and Wildlife plans to termination a carnivore that nan agency has deemed a threat to nationalist safety. That includes Senate Bill 1135 by authorities Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) that would “create nan Wildlife Coexistence Program, which would supply nationalist education, connection method assistance and support a statewide incident reporting system. It would thief communities deploy nonlethal devices to deter predators, for illustration barriers aliases sound and ray machines,” erstwhile Times unit writer Katie King wrote. The measure is group to person a proceeding earlier nan authorities Assembly’s Committee connected Water, Parks and Wildlife connected Tuesday astatine nan authorities Capitol. Although nan deadline to taxable a missive to nan committee has passed, residents tin still be nan hearing, wherever they’re allowed to springiness their name, statement (if pinch one) and their position connected nan bill. You tin still besides interaction your Assembly member aliases the committee.

For much insider tips connected Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, cheque retired past editions of The Wild. And to position this newsletter successful your browser, click here.