Very cool news! A black bear has been caught on camera wandering in Malibu Creek State Park.
Why is this so cool? Aside from that we just all love bears, this is a rare sighting. According to the National Park Service scientists with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area who discovered the bear photo as a part of their study, "The Santa Monica Mountains have not had a resident bear population since the 1800s, when grizzlies were extirpated from California. Since then, black bears have settled in the mountains bordering the north end of Los Angeles, including the Santa Susana and San Gabriel Mountains, but it is extremely rare for a black bear to be found south of the 101 Freeway."
As one of the last bears sighted in the area was killed on the 101 in 2014, this just demonstrates even more the need for connectivity for wildlife and building the Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing #SaveLACougars
We're rooting for this guy (or gal). Welcome to the Santa Monica Mountains, bear!
PS: My friend the scientist and writer Jason Goldman came up with the best name ever for this bear: MaliBooBoo