Wildlife encounters on the rise<\/p>\n
A 2025 study<\/a> by UC researchers found that the number of reported wildlife conflict in California increased by about 2% for every one-inch decrease in annual precipitation. The types of critters crossing paths with humans varies based on location. Bears, wild pigs, mountain lions and coyotes were at the top of the list in California, according to the study.<\/p>\n And right now \u2014 in the late summer and early fall \u2014 is when the reported incidents hit their highest rates, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.<\/a> It\u2019s not clear if that\u2019s because wildlife is most active during this season or it\u2019s when people are more likely to be outdoors.<\/p>\n So, what do you do when you encounter a wild animal? That questioned turned into a heated debate recently in my Nextdoor website, when a fellow Monrovian posted photos of a mountain lion resting in his yard. Several neighbors suggested reporting the giant cat to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, which, presumably would help get the animal returned to its habitat safely. Others disagreed vehemently, saying a report would only lead to the animal getting trapped or killed.<\/p>\n \u201cLet the lion stay in his home,\u201d one neighbor commented. \u201cFish and game not good!\u201d<\/p>\n Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, disagrees (obviously).<\/p>\n Wildlife officials rescued a 525-pound bear that was hiding underneath an Altadena home that was evacuated during the Eaton fire.<\/p>\n (California Department of Fish and Wildlife)<\/p>\n When a bear is (or isn\u2019t) an emergency<\/p>\n One of the reasons to report a wildlife encounter to fish and wildlife, he said, is to spot trends before they turn deadly. For example, a flurry of reports about mountain lions in a neighborhood could suggest someone is feeding deer, which could attract the predator mountain lions. Once the lions get comfortable in a neighborhood where deer are plentiful, an attack on a pet or a human is more likely, Tira said.<\/p>\n The same problem could crop up if someone feeds stray cats \u2014 drawing coyotes that feast on the cats \u2014 or if people leave trash cans unsecured, which can bring bears to the neighborhood, he said. The agency can hold community meetings or disperse fliers to warn neighbors about the potential risk.<\/p>\n \u201cConflicts can get worse over time,\u201d Tira said. \u201cWhen residents don\u2019t alert us until we get a crisis, that\u2019s a crisis we could have resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n As for my first bear encounter, I called the Monrovia police, but the officer who responded didn\u2019t seem concerned. He took a peek into the backyard where the bear took shelter and then got back into his patrol car and drove away. I rushed over to the park to alert the unsuspecting parkgoers of a bear nearby, but no one there seem to share my uneasiness.<\/p>\n Since then, several bears have entered my backyard (surrounded by a six-foot fence) most likely to try to climb into the crawl space under my house to get relief from the heat. But I sealed it up years ago.<\/p>\n I haven\u2019t reported the sightings. Still, I have the state agency\u2019s number readily available just in case a bear were to get comfy under my house.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t want a 500-pound bear living under your house,\u201d Tira said.<\/p>\n They don\u2019t make great house guests. Just ask Altadena resident Ken Johnson, who had a bear living under his house<\/a> for six weeks. <\/p>\n The week\u2019s biggest stories A wave crashes against seawall boards and damaged beachfront homes along the Long Beach peninsula on Thursday.<\/p>\n (Allen J. Schaben \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Rain, winds and coastal dangers to SoCalVehicular crashesL.A. crime and courtsMore newsEditor\u2019s pickMore picksThings to do (Photo Illustration by Diana Ramirez\/De Los; Photos By Amar Studio, Ludovic Delot Studios, Cristian Rojas, Gary Coronado\/Los AngelesTimes, Lorena Endara\/For De Los, Eric Thayer\/Los Angeles Times.)<\/p>\n Today\u2019s recipe Mutabbal, a bright, smoky eggplant dip.<\/p>\n (Stephanie Breijo \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Mutabbal \u2014 a Levantine eggplant dish similar to baba ganoush \u2014 is smoky, bright, creamy and rich, and would work well as an appetizer with pita, or as the base for grilled chicken or lamb. This recipe<\/a> was inspired by cooking editor Cody Reiss\u2019 recent trips to Zankou Chicken in Glendale, and adapted from \u201cThe New Book of Middle Eastern Food\u201d by Claudia Roden.<\/p>\n Photo of the day (Kayla Bartkowski \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Games Here\u2019s today\u2019s mini crossword<\/a>, plus our other free, daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games<\/a>.<\/p>\n Have a great day, from the Essential California team<\/p>\n Jack Dolan, investigative reporter![\"Wildlife](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1791751827_871_.jpeg\")
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<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Mutabbal,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1791751829_89_.jpeg\")
<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1791751830_278_.jpeg\")
<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Mini](\"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/21\/ec\/25146a67473fbc80fa9a6e5bdb82\/minicrossword-kyle.svg\")
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Hugo Mart\u00edn, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters<\/p>\n