by Glendale, California – A late-night visitor in a California neighborhood has residents both laughing and locking up their garbage cans. A man in Glendale, California, captured video of a bear rummaging through a curbside trash bin before boldly walking off with a bag of garbage in its mouth.
The Late-Night Encounter
Resident Roberto Morales said the incident happened around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. His video shows the bear knocking over a trash bin left out for collection and rifling through the contents. After a few moments of noisy searching, the animal found what it wanted — a white bag full of trash — and casually strolled away with it.
Morales said he recorded the encounter from a safe distance and later realized this wasn’t the first time local bears had raided neighborhood bins.
“It just grabbed the bag like it owned it,” he joked. “I’ve seen raccoons before, but a full-grown bear? That’s new.”
Officials Warn Residents to Secure Trash
Local wildlife officials said bear activity is common in the Glendale area, especially during fall when bears are preparing for winter and searching for easy food sources. They reminded residents that unsecured garbage often attracts wildlife.
“We advise residents to keep trash indoors until collection morning and use bear-resistant containers when possible,” officials noted.
Authorities added that while black bears are generally not aggressive, they can become bolder in neighborhoods where they routinely find food. Residents are encouraged not to approach or attempt to scare bears away and instead report sightings to local animal control.
Bears and Human Habits Collide
This isn’t the first case of bears behaving badly caught on camera. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife recently shared video from Ocean Shores, showing another bear stealing a delivered package from a front porch. That box, as officials later revealed, contained a sweater — proving that bears’ curiosity extends beyond trash bags.
Experts say that as development expands into wild areas, encounters like these are becoming more common. Bears, known for their intelligence and strong sense of smell, easily learn which neighborhoods provide the best midnight snacks.
“Once a bear figures out where to find food, it’ll keep coming back,” one wildlife officer said. “That’s why managing garbage is so important.”
Community Reaction and Precautions
Residents of Glendale say sightings have increased over the past year. Some have installed motion lights and cameras to track late-night animal visits, while others have started freezing leftover food waste to minimize odors before trash day.
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Local authorities also remind people not to leave pet food or birdseed outside, as those can attract bears and other wildlife.
Final Thoughts
While the bear’s late-night theft may have been a source of amusement for some, it’s a reminder of the fine balance between humans and wildlife in California’s suburban neighborhoods. As bears adapt to human spaces, residents must remain vigilant about securing food sources and following safety recommendations.
“The bear isn’t doing anything wrong,” one commenter wrote on social media. “It’s just doing what bears do — we’re the ones who left dinner out.”
What do you think — should residents be fined for leaving out trash that attracts wildlife, or is it just part of living near nature? Share your thoughts in the comments at race-day-live.com.
