As a large bear was spotted roaming around Burbank, security video captured the moment the bear enjoyed a refreshing dip in a pool.
As bears emerge out of hibernation for the spring season, sightings have increased as the search for food begins.
On Tuesday, video captured the bear roaming the front yard of a Burbank home before strolling to the backyard and dipping its paws into the cool water.
“He’s a pretty big bear,” said Argishti Martirosyan, the homeowner. “He’s huge, obviously it’s a scary sight to see.”
Martirosyan has lived in his home for over 20 years and said this was the first close encounter with a bear he’s had on the property.
“We see him coming in, strolling in this way,” he recalled. “Comes in by the pool, takes a little dip, goes to scratch his back on the palm tree, spends about five minutes or so and strolls away like nothing happened.”
The bear was first spotted early Sunday morning, cruising the neighborhood at around 2 a.m. At one point, the bear was seen searching through Martirosyan’s garbage bins.
“I see the footage of him just kneeling down, going through the entire trash,” Martirosyan said. “He spends about 15 minutes or so just eating up all the trash we had thrown away.”
Bear sightings are common in the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains which are located just above Burbank.
Over the last several years, bear encounters and sightings have increased, with home surveillance cameras capturing an array of bruins soaking in hot tubs, splashing in pools, resting on patio furniture and roaming around backyards.
With an estimated 40,000 bears emerging out of hibernation in California, residents who live in bear territory are preparing for the possibility of running into a hungry animal rummaging for food.
Although many locals understand certain areas are known for wildlife, Martirosyan has a young family and worries for their safety.
“I have two kids — a newborn and a 3-year-old,” Martirosyan said.
He said he reported the bear sighting to fish and wildlife officials and will be taking extra measures to protect his family.
“I’m going to keep [my children] inside for a while,” he said. “We’ll get bear repellant spray and hopefully that helps to repel them away from the area at least.”