LOS ANGELES – The Sierra Madre Police department responded to attempted break-ins at five locations. But it wasn’t human burglars they were after, it was a bear, making its way through the neighborhood off Grandview Ave near Mountain Trail. 

They used loud noises to usher the animal back up the hill. There’s been an uptick of bear calls, as temperatures heat up and the animals come down the mountain looking for water and food. The calls also tend to coincide with garbage day, when the animals find all kinds of treats in easily turned over bins. 

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The Department of Fish and Wildlife has been notified, and say they are keeping their eyes on the situation. They advice people to keep small pets inside, and to be cautious, especially in the many popular hiking trails along the Sierra Madre foothills, where wildlife encounters are not unusual.

One idea that has worked for me?  We had a pesky bear trying to get into the bins on garbage day a few years back, in my neighborhood. I used bungies to secure it, which actually helped.