Bear-y good neighbors: humans and animals are learning to live together in an expanding LA
As Los Angeles expands into forest areas, human-bear interactions are increasing, leading to bears scavenging in residential neighborhoods. Experts note that black bears are highly adaptable, making coexistence a growing challenge for urban planning.
Why it matters
Urban sprawl into wildlife habitats creates ecological and safety challenges that require new strategies for human-wildlife coexistence.
As communities on the outskirts of LA grow, bears are being drawn to residents’ pools, chicken coops, fruit trees and trashcans. Photograph: Poolbearlife via Instagram As communities on the outskirts of LA grow, bears are being drawn to residents’ pools, chicken coops, fruit trees and trashcans. Photograph: Poolbearlife via Instagram Los Angeles Bear-y good neighbors: humans and animals are learning to live together in an expanding LA People are increasingly crossing paths with the wild animals as homes ring the outskirts of forests, sparking a new era of coexistence
Nick Visser Sun 20 Sep 2026 10.00 EDT Last modified on Sun 20 Sep 2026 10.01 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google Every year, as summer draws to a close and fall begins, California’s bears get hungry.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in