Surveillance cameras in the North Bay captured two bear sightings earlier this week.
Early Monday morning, Sebastopol police shared a snapshot from a trail camera near Hessel Road showing a bear making its way along what appeared to be some type of roadway.
"I can bearly believe I’m saying this, but we are bearing witness to something unusual a-bruin," police wrote in a Facebook post. "A bearfooted visitor must have lost his bearings and embearassingly landed himself in town."
In nearby Cotati, a bear was seen strolling past a home around 12:30 a.m. Monday. The Cotati Police Department shared surveillance camera footage showing the animal saunter along the pavement outside the home, which is located in the area of W. Cotati Ave.
"I was shocked, absolutely shocked," resident Maria Siddeley said. "I did not expect a bear at all."
The Siddeley family said the bear wandered around their yard and may have pushed its way through a gate even though the gate had been held closed with bricks. The family immediately called police and warned their neighbors.
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Police urged residents to be on the lookout and asked them to make smart decisions.
"If you come across Yogi, please, do not get close," police said in a Facebook post. "Do not attempt to feed and for crying out loud please don't attempt to get a selfie for TikTok!"
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It wasn't immediately known if the same bear was seen in both sightings or if it was two different bears.
Resident Steve Enos said he will be keeping an extra close eye on his chickens. Many speculate the bear or bears may be on the hunt for food and water, driven closer to people by drought conditions.
"I’ve never seen anything in the neighborhood bigger than a possum and lots of wild turkeys, but nothing like that," Enos said.
