A black bear was spotted roaming through parts of Montecito early Monday, causing a bit of a stir but no problems.
Gayle King, co-host of CBS This Morning, reported that the bear was spotted at Oprah Winfrey’s Montecito estate, where the co-host currently is residing.
“Please stay inside the residence because we have a bear directly to the front of the residence,” said a security guard at Winfrey’s property in a video King shared to her Instagram.
The guard described the black bear as a “good-sized adolescent.”
Earlier in the morning, the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department received calls about a bear spotting on the north end of Ennisbrook Trail in Montecito.
A call heard on Birnam Wood Golf Club’s police scanner reported a bear sighting in a resident’s backyard on the 1600 block of East Valley Road.
A photo from the club’s gatehouse shows the bear right in front of the 1941 East Valley Road property.
The animal was constantly on the move, and is believed to have headed back up to the mountains near San Leandro Lane, where dogs first caught the bear’s scent, according to Cynthia Tippett, a Montecito Trails Foundation steward.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife received calls from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office regarding the bear sightings, but did not send personnel out to the scene, according to Capt. Patrick Foy.
“We had a conversation with the sheriff, but the bear was moving the whole time,” Foy said. “This situation doesn’t necessitate a response because the bear was on the move.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Jade Martinez-Pogue can be reached at jmartinez-pogue@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.