Two bears may be roaming around Vacaville
Eyewitnesses report bear sightings on Wednesday in two different parts of Vacaville and around the same time.
(Photo obtained by Solano NewsNet)
Several reported bear sightings in Vacaville have some residents wondering if more than one of the animal are roaming through the city.
On Wednesday, residents in a neighborhood near Alamo Drive reported seeing a young brown bear roaming through the front yards of several homes, two days after a bear was spotted up a tree near a local middle school in the same general area.
Less than an hour later, homeowners in the Browns Valley neighborhood also spotted a young bear, with at least one neighbor capturing video of the animal roaming the backyard of her home.
Earlier in the week, police said a bear that climbed a tree near a middle school and napped most of the day in the backyard of a home along North Orchard Avenue had apparently gone back into the wilderness by Tuesday morning.
But the reports on Wednesday suggest the bear is likely still lingering around residential parts of the city, and the timing and distance of the sightings seem to indicate more than one of the animal in town.
On Thursday, a police spokesperson said the agency received delayed reports of bear sightings and had reviewed videos posted to the Internet, but did not respond to the sightings because of time delays and were otherwise unable to authenticate the videos.
The police department is working in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and information about bear sightings in Vacaville is being forwarded to them.
“As we continue to partner with the Department of Fish and Game, it is our intention to allow the bear, or bears, to return to their natural habitat without causing them to be stressed or agitated,” Lieutenant Katie Cardona told Solano NewsNet in an email message. “If the bear’s actions change and our assistance is needed to ensure public safety or address an issue should the bear decide to stay in city limits, we will respond at that time.”
For the time being, the agency is maintaining its wait-and-see approach.
“Our goal is for the bear to be able to return to its original area without harm, while ensuring the safety of our community members,” Cardona said.
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