Authorities Urge Hillside Residents to 'Be Bear Aware'

May is "Be Bear Aware" month and hillside residents are encouraged to take responsible measures to help keep bears out of residential neighborhoods.

A bear was tranquilized by game wardens in Arcadia earlier this month after it broke into several homes, and police have responded to numerous other bear sightings recently.

The Monrovia Police Department released a statement Thursday explaining how residents can "Be Bear Aware."

Here's the department's full statement:

"Be Bear Aware" - The weather is warming Up and the Bears are Back in the Foothills May is "Be Bear Aware" Month and the Monrovia Police Department and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife want to remind the public to act responsibly when in bear country.

Spring is the time of year when California's black bears emerge from their winter dens in search of food. Because bears are attracted to anything edible or smelly, their search often leads them into residential neighborhoods, where trash and food is readily available. Throughout spring and summer, CDFW receives many calls when bears break into homes and rummage through trash bins. These bears are often labeled "nuisance" bears, but in reality they are just doing what comes naturally to them, foraging for food.

Tips for Bear-Proofing Your Home: Bears have keen noses and can smell an easy meal from miles away. They can easily tear a front door off its hinges if they smell food left out on the kitchen counter. To protect your family and property from bear break-ins follow these simple tips:

• Purchase and properly use a bear-proof garbage container.
• Wait to put trash out until the morning of collection day.
• Don't leave trash, groceries, or animal feed in your car.
• Keep garbage cans clean and deodorize them with bleach or ammonia.
• Keep barbecue grills clean and stored in a garage or shed when not in use.
• Only provide bird feeders during November through March and make them inaccessible to bears.
• Don't leave any scented products outside, even non-food items such as suntan lotion, insect repellent, soap or candles.
• Keep doors and windows closed and locked.
• Consider installing motion-detector alarms, electric fencing or motion-activated sprinklers.
• Harvest fruit off trees as soon as it is ripe, and promptly collect fruit that falls.
• Securely block access to potential hibernation sites such as crawl spaces under decks and buildings.

Following are some informative videos and information from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to help you "Be Bear Aware!"

The Bear Truth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tnFrCshN8I&feature=youtu.be&a Smarter than the Average Bear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5PXsZFpl2s&feature=youtu.be&a Bearly Aware
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-RVCCvyGDI&list=UUMyd15DT5hztgPUbO1KyyGw&index=1 Keep Me Wild - More Great Bear Facts from California Department of Fish & Wildlife
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/bear.html/ Living with California Black Bears (From the California Department of Fish & Wildlife)
http://sagehen.ucnrs.org/Documents/visitors/wildlife/bear.pdf Follow California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Twitter
https://twitter.com/CaliforniaDFW Subscribe to Department of Fish and Wildlife News Via E-mail or RSS Feed
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/