Novato residents warned after family of bears spotted near Miwok Park
NOVATO – Police in Novato issued a warning for residents after a mother bear and two cubs were reported near a park over the weekend.
According to officers, the bears were seen in the area of Miwok Park on Sunday. Officers located bear scat near the entrance to the park's playground on the San Miguel Way side.
"The Novato Police Department is advising the community to use extreme caution when entering the area, especially ones that are wooded or contain lots of brush," police said in a statement posted Sunday night.
"We live in a beautiful area, surrounded by open space. It's inevitable that wild animals are going to be in town," said Novato Police Sergeant Alan Bates. Still, Bates said he was not expecting what a resident reported seeing on a video taken from a camera Sunday afternoon in the area of Miwok Park.
"The resident described it as a mother bear and her cubs," he said. "The mother bear actually coming up and looking at the camera, getting pretty close to it, and the little cubs following mama behind."
Everyone is clamoring to see the video, but Sergeant Bates said the owner had a "technical malfunction" and it no longer exists. And while that may seem fishy, Ken Paglia with the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife said he has no doubt the account is true.
"This is a busy time for bears," said Paglia. "They're out, they're looking for food. They're trying to get as many calories as they can to put on weight. And, really, what attracts them to an area is a source of food."
But the park is surrounded on all sides by residential neighborhoods, so how did the bears end up there on a sunny Sunday afternoon? Randy Huber, who comes to the park nearly every day, thinks he knows.
"With the creek here, they probably know there's going to be water," said Huber. "And on a hot day, it's going to want to cool off. So, I'm thinking it came through this creek."
Wildlife officials say bears are rarely aggressive toward humans and anyone who happens upon one should not try to run away. They say stand your ground, make some noise and leave the bear a wide path to escape. But the most important tip is for people to stay alert while wandering in a natural setting...apparently, even in a city park.
"Usually, wildlife sees us before we see them, so the bear's more likely to know if there's a human around and they're going to stay away from us," said Huber. "But if there's any chance of danger to the cubs, then she's going to be more protective."
It may seem like there are more encounters with wild animals these days, but officials say we simply have more cameras rolling and more ways to share the pictures. They say it's likely these creatures have always been close by, and we just didn't realize it.
Finally, the Department of Fish and Wildlife says it is helpful to biologists to know where the animals are living, so they ask people who see a wild animal to report it to them. You can find a reporting page by clicking here.