Novato residents warned after family of bears spotted near Miwok Park

By CBS SAN FRANCISCO

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    NOVATO, California (KPIX) — Police in Novato issued a warning for residents after a mother bear and two cubs were reported near a park over the weekend.

According to officers, the bears were seen in the area of Miwok Park on Sunday. Officers located bear scat near the entrance to the park’s playground on the San Miguel Way side.

“The Novato Police Department is advising the community to use extreme caution when entering the area, especially ones that are wooded or contain lots of brush,” police said in a statement posted Sunday night.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says while bears are generally afraid of people and aggressive behavior is rare, a bear will be defensive when protecting their young, protecting a food source or if they are startled.

As police stressed that bear sightings are rare in Novato and Marin County, officers offered several tips in the event one confronts a bear:

DO NOT APPROACH a bear if seen, especially one that is feeding or with offspring. Most bears will try to avoid confrontation. • DO NOT RUN. Slowly back away and don’t turn your back on the bear. • DO NOT LIE DOWN & PLAY DEAD. Fight back if attacked. • Avoid hiking or jogging through wooded areas where bears are most active-dawn, dusk, or at night. • Always leave an escape route for the bear. • Keep a close watch on small children when hiking or traveling in or about wooded areas. • Make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms; throw rocks or other objects; pick up small children.

Anyone who sees a bear in the area is asked to call 911 immediately.

Additional tips about bears can be found on the Department of Fish and Wildlife website: wildlife.ca.gov/keep-me-wild/bear

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