On Thursday, not only did friends and family partake in a Thanksgiving feast, but this dish was far from conventional. An ebony bear was observed searching a Duarte residence on the 400 block of Wedgewood Court for a Thanksgiving feast.
Around 1:30 in the afternoon, on its way to a holiday feast, the bear was spotted exploring the neighborhood on its belly and clambering up and down the street.
The bear was seen sniffing around a discarded Taco Bell bag and rummaging through a neighborhood garbage can for leftovers in the footage taken at the site. It then strolled leisurely through the neighborhood before escaping to the hills nearby.
Because of the neighborhood’s proximity to the Angeles National Forest, residents may often see wild animals. But officials are still advising those who live near verdant forests to lock up their trash cans and stay away from curious onlookers.
“Bears learn quickly and will return to areas where they find food. Not only can this be dangerous for people, but it is also harmful to bears,” the National Park Service says.
One of the busiest seasons for bears is in the fall when black bears go into a temporary state of “hyperphagia,” or the fall-feeding frenzy, where they eat as much as they can to get ready for winter.