Bears entered 3 separate NorCal homes in past week

By Brittany Hope

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    NEVADA CITY, California (KCRA) — Just before 5:00 a.m. Monday morning, Melissa Bryant and Alan Aragon woke up to a noise in their Nevada City home.

“We walked out of our bedroom, turned around, and said, ‘Oh my goodness, there’s a bear in our house!'” Bryant said.

For nearly 20 minutes, a large bear dug into their freezer and pantry.

“He didn’t do anything other than eat,” Aragon said.

Bryant added, “It was a really chill bear.”

The only damage left behind was a torn screen door where the bear entered the home.

The incident was a very lucky close call that could have been avoided if the family’s front door was shut and locked. Their family home was this bear’s second stop on Monday morning.

Bryant said she showed her neighbor the video of the bear, to which the neighbor replied back by sending a picture of the bear at her house at 4:30 a.m.

Miraculously, no one at either home was injured.

Another Northern California family was not as lucky. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said a person living in Meyers was attacked by a bear inside a residence last week.

The person had to shoot the bear out of self-defense, the sheriff’s office said.

“We are seeing more boldness in places like Nevada City, places like Tahoe,” Peter Tira with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife told KCRA 3. “Bears are becoming very comfortable around people, and in some cases becoming too comfortable.”

Tira said the agency is seeing an increase in younger bears away from their mothers for the first time looking for food, water, and territory.

He said the state’s bear population is growing, as well.

Here is his advice, if you live in bear country, and a bear enters your home:

Do not provoke the bear Give the bear space and exit your home if you can safely do so Call 911 right away Here are more tips to protect your home beforehand:

Close and lock all doors and windows Make sure all pet food is secured If you have fruit trees, be sure to clean up fruit as soon as it falls onto the ground Wait to throw out your trash in your bins outside until right before the garbage crews come Use a bear-proof trash box

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