A small town in California is under siege by black bears, with the animals breaking into homes, running through stores, and even opening car doors in search of food.
The unincorporated community of Pine Mountain Club, nestled in the San Emigdio Mountains of southwestern Kern County, California, has been experiencing these daily invasions.
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Surrounded by thousands of lush acres within the Los Padres National Forest, the town’s 2,315 residents (according to the 2010 census) are on edge.
Resident Ian Soring has used a stun gun to ward off the bears and installed special wire around his property to deter them. “It is out of control,” Soring told NBC Nightly News.
Since July 2023, there have been over 560 bear-related invasions, a sharp increase from the 319 incidents recorded the previous year.
Shocking footage shows bears opening car doors, climbing fences, and rummaging through homes. One video captures a bear opening a Volkswagen Jetta’s door, while another shows a bear scaling a fence onto a porch.
In one particularly bold encounter, a bear was seen running through Pine Mountain Club in broad daylight. On Soring’s property, a bear attempted to raid his kitchen.
“I asked who was in the kitchen, and the bear replied with a lengthy, sturdy growl,” Soring recalled.
He then used his stun gun, which startled the bear enough to make it jump out of the window.
Stan Enzgo, who patrols the area each night to scare off the bears, often uses a flashlight to drive them away. In one video, he is heard saying, “Hey, what are you guys doing?” as two bears scurry away.
Experts believe the increase in bear invasions is due to wildfires and flooding that have displaced the bears from their natural habitats.
Across the nation, bears have been spotted in supermarkets, cars, trash bins, and even swimming pools as they search for food.
Todd Greisen of the Pine Mountain Club Property Owners Association mentioned that some residents exacerbate the problem by feeding the bears.
We’ve got a few residents who think it is their job to feed the bears, so they contribute to the problem,” he said. “We are working with the authorities to deal with that.”
Homeowners are boarding their windows and doors to keep the bears out, but not everyone is confident these measures will work. “We are anticipating it getting much, much worse. This is our new reality,” one female resident said.
Despite the danger, Soring continues to fortify his property with electrical wiring. “I love our wildlife, but I also love my home and my family,” he said.
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