Bear Sightings

July 1, 2021

Question: I live in the Bay Area and read about a bear sighting in a residential area of Oakley in Contra Costa County. What should I do if I see a bear?

Answer: If you see a bear in an urban area, we suggest notifying local law enforcement. Your local police or sheriff’s department will be in the best position to respond quickly and secure the area from a public safety standpoint. Local law enforcement can also contact CDFW and animal control authorities for assistance in coordinating a response. That being said, the appropriate response to seeing a bear depends on the situation.

1.    If there’s a threat to public safety, call 911. Seeing a bear walking through an elementary school or heavily populated area with people would warrant a 911 call.

2.    Seeing a bear on the outskirts of town in a less populated area might warrant a call to your local police or sheriff department’s non-emergency number. You might consider programming your local law enforcement non-emergency phone number into your phone.

3.    If there are concerns of human-wildlife conflict, property damage, or to report sightings in the wild or rural setting, you may submit a wildlife incident report online to CDFW via the statewide Wildlife Incident Reporting System.

Note that when bears enter urban areas, they’re usually looking for food. The best way to keep a bear away from your property is to eliminate all attractants like unsecured garbage and pet food. For more tips, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Bear and the Human-Wildlife Conflict Program (HWC Toolkit) at wildlife.ca.gov/hwc.