A San Gabriel Valley family discovered that a late-night visitor had made its way into their Claremont home and helped themselves to a midnight snack Thursday morning., before leaving on its own, according to the homeowner.
The California black bear entered the home around 4 a.m., homeowner Anju Kapoor told NBC Los Angeles.
The night before the incident, Kapoor’s husband had opened a vent in the house to clear out a smell from cooking. The bear later found a way inside, she said.
Pictures provided by the Kapoor family show a torn window screen, the possible entrance for the fuzzy intruder.
The family was asleep while the animal was inside. When they woke up later that morning, the bear had already left, but they discovered a mess on the floor and realized their snacks had been eaten.
Security video shows the bear in the kitchen eating what appeared to be a midnight snack. The images provided by the family show dishes all over the kitchen floor and a trail of pistachios outside the home.
Kapoor said she later found a large piece of stool outside the home and assumed it may have been left by an animal.
No injuries were reported.
In December of 2025, a 550-pound black bear moved into the crawlspace of an Altadena home.
The Department of California Fish and Wildlife said those who live in the foothill areas should remove anything attractive to bears, such as pet food and remnants of food on a grill.
“They are omnivores and will consume nearly anything, including seeds, plants, berries, other animals, pet food, human food, and trash,” states the agency’s website.
According to the Department of California Fish and Wildlife, a bear’s sense of smell is 100 times more powerful and about seven times stronger than that of a bloodhound.
Here are some tips experts recommend if you encounter a bear in a building or nearby:
Give it space and not corner it
Leave any doors open as you back away
Do not lock the bear in a room
If the bear is in your yard:
Make loud noises, shout, or bang pots and pans to scare it away
Remove potential attractants like garbage, bird seeds, or pet food once the bear leaves
Ask neighbors to remove attractants
Check your yard for bears before letting your dog out
For more information, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has a checklist to keep your property safe from bears.