'Let's Be
Neighbors'
Neighbors'
"He had the bag and he had food all over his face," Ball said.
"I remember seeing them in his hand. That's when I
slammed the door really quick."
Police responded and scared the bear away, but the next
morning he apparently returned. The next night, he climbed a
neighbor's orange tree.
He returned often to the neighborhood, especially to Ball's
home, where he napped in the backyard before trying to get
back into the garage.
"It's getting a little out of control," Ball told reporters. "I had a
golf club and a pan, and I was banging them like they told us
to, but he wasn't having it. I even shined the flashlight in his
face, and he kept eating."
The bear finally left after police shot him repeatedly with bean
bags.
Officials from California Fish and Game think the bear
wandered down from the Verdugo mountains.
According to Los Angeles Animal Services, wild animals
(coyotes, foxes, opossums, raccoons, snakes and predatory
birds) exist not only within the City of Los Angeles, but also in
adjacent areas of the County and neighboring cities.
"As housing further encroaches into the hills, the
interaction between wildlife and residents
grows more frequent. The L.A. Department of
Animal Services has a Wildlife Division to aid
residents in rectifying problems and some of the
uneasiness
that many people may face with wildlife."
The department provides on-site evaluations
and education, so animals and people can
"coexist in peace."
"I remember seeing them in his hand. That's when I
slammed the door really quick."
Police responded and scared the bear away, but the next
morning he apparently returned. The next night, he climbed a
neighbor's orange tree.
He returned often to the neighborhood, especially to Ball's
home, where he napped in the backyard before trying to get
back into the garage.
"It's getting a little out of control," Ball told reporters. "I had a
golf club and a pan, and I was banging them like they told us
to, but he wasn't having it. I even shined the flashlight in his
face, and he kept eating."
The bear finally left after police shot him repeatedly with bean
bags.
Officials from California Fish and Game think the bear
wandered down from the Verdugo mountains.
According to Los Angeles Animal Services, wild animals
(coyotes, foxes, opossums, raccoons, snakes and predatory
birds) exist not only within the City of Los Angeles, but also in
adjacent areas of the County and neighboring cities.
"As housing further encroaches into the hills, the
interaction between wildlife and residents
grows more frequent. The L.A. Department of
Animal Services has a Wildlife Division to aid
residents in rectifying problems and some of the
uneasiness
that many people may face with wildlife."
The department provides on-site evaluations
and education, so animals and people can
"coexist in peace."
| February 2014 |
| Billie Silvey |
At the 125th Rose Parade in Pasadena last month, the
City of Glendale won the Governor’s Trophy for the “Best
Depiction of Life in California.”
The float, designed by Phoenix Decoration, was full of
animals—all wild and all seen by residents of
Glendale—including Meatball, the bear that is now in a
San Diego sanctuary.
“Let’s Be Neighbors” was the theme of Glendale’s
100th entry in the Rose Parade. It was built to
recognize the fact that Glendale has more than 5,000
acres of natural open space, and that open space
attracts wild animals to spaces shared with humans.
Meatball, the bear with his own Twitter account, made
headlines when he was found roaming the foothills--
rummaging through garbage cans, eating Costco
meatballs and taking a dip in a backyard swimming
pool in 2012.
He was first encountered by Joey Ball, who had been
City of Glendale won the Governor’s Trophy for the “Best
Depiction of Life in California.”
The float, designed by Phoenix Decoration, was full of
animals—all wild and all seen by residents of
Glendale—including Meatball, the bear that is now in a
San Diego sanctuary.
“Let’s Be Neighbors” was the theme of Glendale’s
100th entry in the Rose Parade. It was built to
recognize the fact that Glendale has more than 5,000
acres of natural open space, and that open space
attracts wild animals to spaces shared with humans.
Meatball, the bear with his own Twitter account, made
headlines when he was found roaming the foothills--
rummaging through garbage cans, eating Costco
meatballs and taking a dip in a backyard swimming
pool in 2012.
He was first encountered by Joey Ball, who had been
Meatball carrying his lunch (above
left) and kicking back in the pool.
left) and kicking back in the pool.
Glendale's float under construction (left) and artist's rendering.
waked up at 3 a.m. to discover
that the huge black bear had
opened his garage refrigerator
and was pigging out on a bag
of Costco meatballs.
that the huge black bear had
opened his garage refrigerator
and was pigging out on a bag
of Costco meatballs.