Bear Wanders into California Water District Office

A black bear made an unexpected visit to a water district office in Southern California on Wednesday. It walked right through the front door, curious about its surroundings before heading back into the nearby woods.

Surveillance footage from the Crestline Village Water District, located in the San Bernardino Mountains, captured the moment a small black bear sauntered into the office that afternoon, much to the surprise of the employees present.

The bear spent a few moments exploring the office, sniffing around and wandering about. After a brief investigation, it returned to the door, pushed it open, and exited on its own.

In a related incident, another bear, spotted perched on a utility pole in New Mexico, sadly died from electrocution.

“It was thrilling to see a bear so close up. You don’t get to witness that every day,” said Jocelyn Bryan, an employee at the water district, in a comment to KTLA. “Fortunately, it was just us there at the time, so no one was in danger. It was exhilarating, yet a bit scary.”

After its visit, the bear was seen heading back toward the woods. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported, and it seems the office wasn’t damaged during the bear’s short stay.

This encounter is part of a string of unusual bear-related events that have garnered attention this week.

Earlier, a bear was caught on video in rural New Mexico climbing a utility pole near Gladstone, around 270 miles from Santa Fe. The U.S. Department of the Interior shared this footage humorously commenting on the incident, although it seemed to highlight an unexpected aspect of “American Energy Dominance.”

In the video, a 911 caller reported, “I’m seeing a bear on a telephone pole.” A dispatcher informed the caller that wildlife authorities were already notified but couldn’t tranquilize the bear while it was on the pole due to safety concerns. Tragically, before help could arrive, the bear was electrocuted.

Experts note that Asian black bears are adept climbers; they may scale trees or poles when startled by various disturbances like people or dogs. In mountainous areas like Crestline, bears often roam neighborhoods for food. While encounters are common, it’s less frequent for a bear to wander into a building.