A black bear made an unexpected stop at a Southern California water district office Wednesday, pushing through the front door, taking a brief look around and then calmly heading back into the nearby forest.
Surveillance video from the Crestline Village Water District in the San Bernardino Mountains shows the small black bear walking into the office Wednesday afternoon while employees looked on as the unusual visit unfolded.
The bear lingered for a few moments, sniffing and wandering through the building, before returning to the entrance, nudging the door open again and leaving without assistance.
“It was exciting. It was really cool to see a bear that close. It’s rare that we’re that close to them,” Crestline Village Water District employee Josselyn Brian told KTLA. “Thankfully, no one was in danger. There were no customers in there at the time. It was just us. So, it couldn’t have been better. Scary, but wonderful.”
Workers told the station they then watched the bear make its way back into the woods. No one was hurt, and the animal did not appear to cause any damage inside the office.
The close encounter marks another unusual bear moment to draw attention this week.
In rural New Mexico, another bear was filmed earlier this week after climbing to the top of a utility pole near Gladstone, roughly 170 miles east of Santa Fe. The video was later shared by the US Department of the Interior.
“We appreciate the enthusiasm for American Energy Dominance, but this isn’t what we meant,” the department joked in a social media post alongside the footage.
The video, verified by Storyful, also included audio from a 911 caller reporting the unusual sight.
“I’m calling to report a bear on top of a light pole,” the caller told a dispatcher.
The dispatcher said wildlife officials had already been notified but could not safely tranquilize the animal while it remained atop the pole because it could fall.
The bear later died after being electrocuted before wildlife officials could safely rescue it, the New York Post reported.
Wildlife experts say black bears are strong climbers and may scale trees, utility poles or other tall structures when startled by people, traffic or dogs.
In mountain communities like Crestline, where bears regularly roam neighborhoods in search of food, encounters with people are not uncommon, though one wandering into an office building is considerably more unusual.
