Black Bear Spotted In Whitewater, Prompting Reserve Closure

WHITEWATER, CA — A tree-loving black bear in the Whitewater Preserve led park officials to shut down the area on Wednesday. Campers spotted the bear climbing a tree at around 8 a.m., just as the park was slated to open.

The bear, Ursus americanus, also prompted the cancellation of the day's "plant talk." The animal took refuge in an area tree for more than two hours Wednesday and was captured on camera snuggling in its branches.

"At around 10:30 a.m., it came down from the tree and we haven't seen it since," the preserve's assistant manager, Tori Stanton, told Patch.

The park remained closed through Wednesday out of an abundance of caution, and to ensure the bear is completely out of the area, she said.

"If we don't have any more sightings today or in the morning we will reopen," she said.

Stanton said that bear sightings of this sort are not a common occurrence, though occasionally black bears are spotted on the preserve's wildlife cameras after dark.

Approximately 150,000 people visited the local preserve in 2017.

— City News Service contributed to this report / Image courtesy Tori Stanton, used with permission