Bear spotted in Summerland

An adult bear was spotted Monday night walking in Summerland between homes and the open space that extends into the foothills.

It was a rare sighting for the area, although the coastal canyons have been passage ways for bears looking for food and water during the fall months.

A citizen who witnessed the adult black bear said he has lived there many years and has never seen a bear that close before. The bear was on Greenwell Ave.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife was notified.

Nearby there was an avocado grove, a known site for bear to search for food if they are in the area.

Some larger animal footprints were spotted in the dirt along the roadside, but it was unclear if they were from a bear.

Another resident didn’t see the bear but confirmed a very large animal was near the fence line by her house on the same street, about the same time as the original sighting.

(more information and video will be posted here later today)