Black bear goes for swim to cool off from the heat

BURBANK, Calif. — With the high summer temperatures, bears, along with other wildlife, are looking for ways to cool off from the heat including a black bear in Burbank, California, on Friday.

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The Burbank Police Department posted a video on Facebook of a bear going for a swim.

“This bear is beating the heat in Burbank! Officers are on-scene after the bear was spotted in a hillside neighborhood before taking a dip to cool off,” police said.

It happened around 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, according to KTLA. Officers were called to a house in the 1300 block of Paseo Redondo for a black bear in a jacuzzi in someone’s backyard.

When officers arrived, they found the bear splashing around. Eventually, the bear scaled a wall and climbed a tree, according to the news outlet.

“I was upstairs and I heard a lot of commotion and some beeping sounds,” homeowner Diana Lewis told KTLA. “And here he was, just having fun in the jacuzzi. Very happy.”

The bear, however, was closely monitored by the police, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Burbank Animal Shelter for a few hours while it hung out on a tree, the news outlet reported. Eventually, it came down from the tree and went off into the Verdugo Mountains.

KTLA reported that this was the second time in a week a black bear was splashing around in a backyard hot tub. A female bear along with her cub were playing in a hot tub in La Cañada Flintridge.

“We’re all used to a lot of wildlife out here,” Lewis said, according to the news outlet. “We have deer, really, we have a lot of wildlife, and people enjoy seeing it.”

Police also provided some tips in case you see a bear. The tips include never feeding or approaching the bear; securing food, garbage, and recycling; and removing bird feeders and pet food. They also suggested keeping your grills cleaned and stored; having your dogs on a leash when out for a walk; and having a bear spray on you just in case. They also suggest calling 911 if it is an emergency.