The evening of October 9th, 2009, a report of a bear walking through Ojai resident’s yards was called into local authorities. According to local residents, police dispatched to the scene initially tried to scare the bear away, utilizing empty swimming pools, rocks, sticks and shouting to route the bear Northward towards the Sespe wilderness.
According to Alliso St resident Chris Nottoli the bear, well lit by police spotlights, climbed a pine tree in an attempt to hide at approximately 1 a.m. Local authorities proceeded to close off the street in hopes the bear would eventually climb down and make his way back to safety.
“Mr. Bear 2009″
The following evening the bear had not moved from his post. Ojai resident Brent Florence, having spent over 8 hours observing the scene, claimed there were idling police cruises and a nearby party that kept the bear firmly planted in his tree. Local bear hunter Tom Farmer spoke with the police at one point, trying to come up with ideas on how to coerse the bear down.
Eventually California Fish and Wildlife was called in. “We knew the bears fate was sealed at that point,” states Nottoli. A tranquilizer dart was fired at the bear who, when hit, proceeded to climb higher into the tree. In an attempt to keep the bear from climbing higher, another dart was fired, which in turn caused the bear to climb even higher. Eventually the tranquilizer took its effect and the bear toppled from its post, crashing into branches on the way down and landing in a cactus bush. According to authorities, the bear would have been euthanised after tranquilization regardless of its landing.
An impromptu memorial arouse the morning of October 11, 2009 in the cactus bush the animal landed in.