Lost black bear ‘pursued’ through Redding by police

Redding police followed a lost black bear through Redding early Monday morning, according to a Facebook post by the Redding Police Department.

The bear, originally spotted near Hilltop Drive and Commerce Street, traveled south through town until it reached the Rother Elementary School campus.

The bear made its way on to the school grounds, then moved to the shoulder of Interstate 5, the post said.

Redding police said they were joined by CHP officers and Shasta County Sheriff Deputies, who also followed the bear.

The bear was last seen when it crawled into a culvert in southeast Redding, near Interstate 5. Department of Fish and Wildlife officials were attempting to lure the bear out of the culvert and into a cage with apples, said the Redding Record-Searchlight. There was still no sign of the bear at around 5 pm Monday, according to the Searchlight.

The police Facebook page described the bear as “clearly scared and not aggressive towards people and/or other animals.”

Redding police encouraged residents to “beware of their surroundings” and to report any sightings of the bear to the police.

Comments on the Facebook post speculated that the bear had been displaced by the recent fires.

This story was originally published September 17, 2018 at 8:51 PM.