Bear captured in Chatsworth after hours hiding in tree

LOS ANGELES - A bear who spent hours hiding in a tree in an industrial area of Chatsworth was captured late Tuesday morning.

It's the same bear who was spotted and captured two months ago in Claremont, City News Service reports.

The female bear, believed to be between 3 and 5 years old, was caught in Claremont in May and collared. She was released into the Angeles National Forest. 

It all began just before midnight on Monday - that's when the bear was first seen in Malibu before heading over to the Chatsworth area near Lassen and Independence. 

At one point, the bear was seen getting down from the tree, running across the parking lot, and taking refuge in another tree. 

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SkyFOX images from the scene showed several people peeking through the fence surrounding trees and foliage where the bear hid for hours before its capture. 

Officials with the Department of Fish and Wildlife had been monitoring the bear throughout the morning. Experts told FOX 11 on Tuesday that it is less common for female bears to travel as far away from the foothills – 2 miles away from the forest for Monday's lady bear – compared to male bears, who are more known for traveling further from the foothills.

Bears breaking into homes or trash cans in search of food have become a problem in California — from Lake Tahoe in the Sierra down to the foothill suburbs of Los Angeles, where some have been known to raid refrigerators and take dips in backyard pools and hot tubs.

The National Park Service advises those who encounter a bear to keep their distance and follow proper viewing etiquette.

Some of those tips include - respect a bear's space, do not approach the bear, and minimize noise and movement.

"Most bears will avoid humans if they hear them coming," the NPS said.