BEAR SIGHTING: Arizona Game and Fish trying to locate bear in Oro Valley

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - A warning out for folks who live in Oro Valley: Arizona Game and Fish says a bear has been spotted several times in the area, including right on people’s doorsteps.

They’re working to find the bear so they can relocate it, but they need your help.

Wednesday, the bear was spotted in a neighborhood off of Oracle and Ina.

Jerry Quesnel lives in the area.

“We were surprised, taken back, shocked, because nobody expects to have a bear walk across their porch in Tucson,” he said.

Quesnel couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw a bear walking just outside of his home in the middle of the day. He’s lived in the area for more than 30 years and he’s seen all kinds of wildlife, but never a bear.

In the video, the bear makes its way across the property. It passes a fruit tree and walks right up to the camera. Quesnel says it also visited several of his neighbors.

“Why was it here? it’s hot. there’s been plenty of rain so why isn’t it up in the mountains where they normally hang out?” he asked.

That’s what many people are asking. We saw a number of bear sightings back in May, but Arizona Game and Fish expected the bears to return to their natural habitat once monsoon hit.

“It is unusual, but if it’s a young bear it may be just separated from its mother and learning new territory. those bears typically get into more trouble than not when they’re wondering about,” Mark Hart said.

Hart says there’s a possibility this bear could be the same one that was spotted at Fort Lowell Park in May. He estimates that it’s a two to three year old black bear.

“He hasn’t done anything dangerous per se, he hasn’t menaced anyone or stood on his hind legs, huffed or done any of the tell tale signs of an immanent attack. It’s just looking for resources and probably learned from its last time in Tucson that there are food sources to be had,” he said.

Hart says the bear hasn’t shown that it’s dangerous yet, but wild animals are unpredictable. Game and Fish is asking people in the area to do what they can to keep the bear away from their homes.

″Make sure you’ve left no pet food outside. Then if you have fruit fallen trees, pick it up. Take down your bird feeder, even take down your hummingbird feeders cause bears love hummingbird nectar,” he said.

And if you have trash pick up, don’t put your trashcans out for pickup until the day of.

Right now, Game and Fish’s goal is to locate the bear so they can tranquilize it and move it out of the area.

They are asking for the public’s help. If you see the bear, you’re asked to call them as soon as possible at 623-236-7201.

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