Bear Surprises Employees at Water District Office in California
A black bear made an unexpected appearance at a water district office in Southern California on Wednesday, casually pushing open the front door and taking a brief stroll through the building before heading back into the woods.
Surveillance footage from the Crestline Village Water District, located in the San Bernardino Mountains, shows the small bear entering the office in the afternoon while surprised employees looked on. It spent several minutes curiously sniffing around and exploring the space.
Eventually, the bear returned to the entrance, nudged the door open once more, and exited on its own. “I was thrilled,” said Jocelyn Bryan, an employee at the water district, in a chat with KTLA. “Seeing a bear that close is quite rare. Fortunately, there weren’t any customers around—just us. So it was kind of perfect. A bit scary, but honestly, so incredible.”
After leaving, employees reported seeing the bear heading back into the wooded area nearby. Thankfully, no injuries occurred, and it seemed the bear caused no damage to the office.
This encounter is just one of a few unusual bear incidents making the news recently. Earlier this week, a bear was spotted scaling a utility pole in rural New Mexico near Gladstone, showcased in a video shared by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The department humorously commented, “While we appreciate your enthusiasm for American Energy Dominance, this isn’t exactly what we meant.”
In another incident, a 911 caller notified authorities about a bear on a telephone pole, letting the dispatcher know that wildlife experts had been alerted. Unfortunately, the bear was electrocuted before officials could safely intervene.
Experts say that Asian black bears are adept climbers, often ascending trees or tall structures when startled due to nearby humans, vehicles, or pets. In areas like Crestline, such bears frequently wander through neighborhoods looking for food. While encounters do happen, a bear wandering into an office building is certainly a rare sight.
