A large brown bear gave residents of La Cañada Flintridge a scare on Wednesday after a homeowner discovered it bathing in her pool and trying to cool off from the hot summer heat.
“He looked very much at home, so who knows how many times he’s been here before in the dark and nobody knows,” homeowner Elna Coetzee told NBC Los Angeles. Coetzee snapped several photos of the bear using her cell phone. She said the sighting took place around 3:45 p.m. and told NBC in a phone interview that the bear and took off after chilling under a tree and eating a few pomegranates.
The entire visit lasted for about 20 minutes, Coetzee said.
The sighting coincided with the first day of school, and kids at Paradise Canyon Elementary were reportedly told to stay inside as a precautionary measure.
This type of activity is not foreign to residents of Southern California, who are accustomed to seeing bears come down from the mountains from time to time during hot summer days seeking relief from the scorching temperatures, and also for food.
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