Black bears spotted in Sierra Vista neighborhoods
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Posted 5:22 PM 9/8/2012 : Black bears spotted in Sierra Vista neighborhoods
SIERRA VISTA-Arizona Game and Fish are warning folks to be "bear aware" after a number of bear sightings in Cochise County. Since July, three bears have been re-located. The latest bear to visit Sierra Vista residents was located near Coronado Drive and Piccadilly Drive.
Jan Anderson lives near there. She's putting her garbage can in her garage and keeping it there until pick up day. Arizona Game and Fish is asking all Sierra Vista residents to do the same. Mark Hart says, " We're asking residents living around Fry Blvd. out to Herford to take necessary precautions that includes securing their garbage and policing their yard of bird seed, fruits from trees, and other things that may attract bears."
Anderson says, " That's pretty scary. I'll try to keep my dogs in and I will try to be careful when I go out for a bike ride."
Hart says the bears are traveling from the Huachuca's down the washes into residential areas. Just last Wednesday, a bear was spotted climbing over backyard walls looking for food. Hart attributes this to "Consecutive dry winters, and most notably the Monument fire of 2011 . The combination of those factors have impacted bear habitat. "
Simi Malepeai's 12 year old daughter caught a glimpse of a bear just days ago. "She text me when she was on the school bus they saw a bear crossing one of the streets "
Sierra Vista Police relocated that bear back into the mountains last Thursday. Arizona Game and Fish says f you come across a bear, "Stand your ground get big as we say yell, throw rocks, sticks or stones, try to drive it off."
So far the bears that have been spotted in this area haven't been violent. Az. Game and fish hopes it stays that way.
