A family of three bears has been spotted wandering Woodland Hills and Calabasas in the past week. The photo above was captured by a homeowner in the Woodland Crest community of Woodland Hills above Topanga and Mulholland. The bears were also caught on camera climbing a fence near Viewpoint School in Calabasas. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, these bears are the same bear family that was seen in Encino last year. The mother bear, known as Yellow 2291, was first captured and collared in Claremont in May 2024 and relocated to the Angeles National Forest. Since then, she has traveled across a significant portion of Los Angeles County, crossing several major freeways before making her way into the Santa Monica Mountains. Yellow 2291 later had three cubs, two males and one female, who were confirmed by biologists earlier this year. The cubs are now older and beginning to disperse from their mother, which means they are starting to look for their own territories. As they move through areas near the wildland-urban interface, they may pass through residential neighborhoods. Based on the most recent reports, it appears the mother bear is moving west and may already be outside of the city, while the cubs are still trying to figure out where to go as they disperse. The tracking device on the mother bear is no longer working, and the cubs are not currently tracked, so resident reports are especially important right now. CDFW has not reported any aggression from these bears. They are generally looking for food, not conflict. However, it is very important that residents do not approach, crowd, or attempt to interact with them. If you see a bear, please report the sighting to apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir/incident/create.
