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Bear parks self in garage
12/17/02
Old animal likes den with heater
By Bhavna Mistry, L.A. Daily News
SAUGUS -- Mark Seitz, new to the Saugus neighborhood, was skeptical when a man on the street climbed his back fence, tapped on the window and whispered that there was a bear in his garage.
"He didn't want us to startle the bear if we came into the garage," said Seitz, who with his wife, Jodi, had been wrapping Christmas gifts Monday night in front of a fire.
Seitz peeked out the front door and saw sheriff's deputies armed with rifles and neighbors armed with video cameras.
And then he saw the 300-pound California black bear, snoozing in his garage.
"We didn't even know he was there," Seitz said.
The old male bear had wandered through the Seitzes' Plum Canyon neighborhood before deciding to settle down on a throw rug next to the water heater.
"He was just relaxing, trying to stay warm," Seitz said. "Occasionally, he would pop his head up and look around. He seemed like a peaceful animal. He wasn't aggressive at all."
Neighbors had seen the bear stroll by and had called 911 before the animal settled down for a last winter's nap. Sheriff's deputies armed with rifles had surrounded the Seitzes' home, and spotlights were on the new homeowners.
The Seitzes, who have two daughters, sneaked out the back while sheriff's deputies and state Department of Fish and Game officers developed a plan.
Moments later, all lights in the neighborhood were turned off for a while, and wildlife officers shot the bear with a tranquilizer gun. The animal lumbered out of the garage and down the street.
"He just got up and decided to walk out," Seitz said. "He just went from yard to yard. Finally, the drug started to kick in, and he just lay down by a trash can and went to sleep."
The bear was shot with another tranquilizer dart to make sure it was completely sedated. Then deputies and wildlife officers placed the bear into a truck.
They estimated that the bear was more than 15 years old, aging and suffering from a variety of ailments.
"I think he knew that his time had come, and he was just looking for a place to lie down," said Lt. Martin Wall of the Fish and Game Department.
After finding the old bear ill, officials decided to destroy the animal.
"For his own benefit and the safety of the public, we put him to sleep," said Wall, adding that the bear was later buried.
12/17/02
Old animal likes den with heater
By Bhavna Mistry, L.A. Daily News
SAUGUS -- Mark Seitz, new to the Saugus neighborhood, was skeptical when a man on the street climbed his back fence, tapped on the window and whispered that there was a bear in his garage.
"He didn't want us to startle the bear if we came into the garage," said Seitz, who with his wife, Jodi, had been wrapping Christmas gifts Monday night in front of a fire.
Seitz peeked out the front door and saw sheriff's deputies armed with rifles and neighbors armed with video cameras.
And then he saw the 300-pound California black bear, snoozing in his garage.
"We didn't even know he was there," Seitz said.
The old male bear had wandered through the Seitzes' Plum Canyon neighborhood before deciding to settle down on a throw rug next to the water heater.
"He was just relaxing, trying to stay warm," Seitz said. "Occasionally, he would pop his head up and look around. He seemed like a peaceful animal. He wasn't aggressive at all."
Neighbors had seen the bear stroll by and had called 911 before the animal settled down for a last winter's nap. Sheriff's deputies armed with rifles had surrounded the Seitzes' home, and spotlights were on the new homeowners.
The Seitzes, who have two daughters, sneaked out the back while sheriff's deputies and state Department of Fish and Game officers developed a plan.
Moments later, all lights in the neighborhood were turned off for a while, and wildlife officers shot the bear with a tranquilizer gun. The animal lumbered out of the garage and down the street.
"He just got up and decided to walk out," Seitz said. "He just went from yard to yard. Finally, the drug started to kick in, and he just lay down by a trash can and went to sleep."
The bear was shot with another tranquilizer dart to make sure it was completely sedated. Then deputies and wildlife officers placed the bear into a truck.
They estimated that the bear was more than 15 years old, aging and suffering from a variety of ailments.
"I think he knew that his time had come, and he was just looking for a place to lie down," said Lt. Martin Wall of the Fish and Game Department.
After finding the old bear ill, officials decided to destroy the animal.
"For his own benefit and the safety of the public, we put him to sleep," said Wall, adding that the bear was later buried.
