Wildlife

Fish and Game officials have tranquilized a more than 500-pound bear that has been roaming out in the neighborhood since 3 a.m. It may take up to 10 minutes for the tranquilizer to take effect, and in that time, authorities cautioned residents to stay indoors. "It may have effects on him and he may not be acting how he was a few minutes ago," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Mark Slater said. Where one tranquilizer dart would have done the trick, Fish and Game Lt. Mark Wall said two were needed due the bear's size.

La Cañada Flintridge residents welcomed a visit from yet another member of the animal kingdom last Sunday when a bobcat took a daytime stroll down Melinda Thompson and Bill Scherkey's front porch on the 1400 block of Flanders Road. With multiple sightings of coyotes and bears already having occurred this year, bobcats are just the latest critter to make their presence known. Glenn Houser of the 5000 block of Jarvis Avenue also encountered a bobcat on the morning of Aug. 9. Ricky Whitman of the Pasadena Humane Society said that bobcats are a common sight in foothill areas.

The city of Glendale and the Pasadena Humane Society will host the second of two wildlife seminars at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Deukmejian Wilderness Park, 3429 Markridge Road, La Crescenta. The seminar is free and open to the public. Thursday's seminar comes on the heels of a mountain lion sighting last month in the 1800 block of Los Encinos Avenue, near Glorietta Park, 2801 N. Verdugo Road. A mountain lion reportedly attacked a deer behind a resident's property, and the deer had to be euthanized.

Gary Moskowitz Glendale is considered a wildlife corridor because it is close to the mountains, and it is common for wild animals to move through the area, so living here comes with a certain amount of responsibility. To live in an area with coyotes, mountain lions and deer means to live "smart," said Elaine Aguilar, assistant to the city manager. The city of Glendale, the Pasadena Humane Society and the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will have a wildlife seminar at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Pacific Community Center, 501 S. Pacific Ave. in Glendale.

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- "More than Meets the Eye" is the title of the art show beginning Friday at the Descanso Gardens Gallery inside the Boddy House. Louise Forbes' paintings of wildlife, fantasy flowers and hidden surprise subjects follow the natural grain of wood panels in such a way that the subjects seem to reside in the wood. Tim Yurk's pottery of organic origins is both functional and decorative. Experimentation with glaze formulations and firing techniques have resulted in unusually bright colors for pottery.

Years ago, my parents had the good fortune and foresight to buy a second home in the town of Mammoth Lakes in California’s rugged Eastern Sierra Nevada. To say that our frequent escapes to this outdoorsman’s paradise over the years have resulted in countless treasured family memories would be a massive understatement. One of the things we enjoy the most while visiting this high altitude hamlet 300 miles North of Los Angeles is seeing the amazing variety of wildlife so close at hand.

A “fairly large” mountain lion that was spotted roaming in a La Crescenta neighborhood Thursday afternoon was tranquilized to be relocated in the wild, a state wildlife official said. Officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife were called in after the lion was spotted just before 2 p.m. and didn't appear to be disturbing anything at the home in the 4500 block of New York Avenue, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz. PHOTOS: Mountain lion captured in La Crescenta residential area From there, the lion roamed the area and was seen in the 3300 and 3400 blocks of Thelma Street.

Officials are cautioning residents to be alert after two mountain lions were found early Tuesday morning sitting on the front lawn of a home in Sierra Madre. A resident reported seeing the two cats about 12:32 a.m. in front of a house on the 600 block of Camillo Road, said Sgt. Ruben Enriques of the Sierra Madre Police Department. The cats were still in the yard when officers arrived, but police scared them off by turning on their sirens, he said. Wildlife encounters are common in the community, which lies in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Karen S. Kim NORTHWEST GLENDALE -- The animals of Harry Potter will visit Glendale Public Library's Grandview branch from 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday. Well, maybe not the actual animals of Harry Potter, but Wildlife on Wheels, a nonprofit organization that rescues injured wild animals, will bring children an owl, a toad and a snake. Wildlife on Wheels representatives will discuss the animals' roles in the popular Harry Potter series, teach children about the animals themselves and display the creatures.

A “fairly large” mountain lion that was spotted roaming in a La Crescenta neighborhood Thursday afternoon was tranquilized to be relocated in the wild, a state wildlife official said. Officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife were called in after the lion was spotted just before 2 p.m. and didn't appear to be disturbing anything at the home in the 4500 block of New York Avenue, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz. PHOTOS: Mountain lion captured in La Crescenta residential area From there, the lion roamed the area and was seen in the 3300 and 3400 blocks of Thelma Street.

The Glendale bear known as “Meatball” has had to acclimate to new food and a new home during captivity, and by the end of the month, he'll have to adjust to a new neighbor. Since being transported to the Lions, Tigers & Bears animal sanctuary in San Diego County in August, the bear known for his appetite has been living in a 15-by-20-foot quarantine facility while officials raise money to build him a new 4-acre habitat. But that will soon change when he gets a new neighbor later this month - “Sugar Bear,” a male ursine that was rescued in June from a closed sanctuary in Ohio.

It appears Meatball - the 400-pound bear from Glendale that was taken to a sanctuary after several return trips from the forest - will remain a Californian. Since being lured into a trap with McDonald's and bacon, Meatball has been staying in a 15-by-20 foot cage at the Lions, Tigers, and Bears animal sanctuary in Alpine in east San Diego County. It was meant to be a holding spot until the bear could be transferred to a much larger sanctuary in Colorado, but state officials there blocked the plan.

Colorado officials say the popular Glendale bear known as “Meatball” - trapped and taken to a temporary rescue facility in San Diego County - will not be permitted residency at a sanctuary in the Rocky Mountain state. “This bear can't come to Colorado,” said Randy Hamilton, spokesman for Colorado Parks & Wildlife, pointing to state regulations that prevent sanctuaries from accepting wild animals. There's been a tug-of-war over the 400-pound bear since he was caught last week in La Cañada Flintridge.

The Glendale bear known as “Meatball” was captured Wednesday in La Cañada Flintridge after a game warden lured the popular ursine with bacon and honey -- adding a sense of urgency to a campaign set up by his fans to raise money for his transport to a permanent home at a wildlife sanctuary in Colorado. The bear, also known on Twitter as “Glen Bearian,” was “resting comfortably” after being captured Wednesday morning, according to the California Department of Fish and Game.

Fish and Game officials have tranquilized a more than 500-pound bear that has been roaming out in the neighborhood since 3 a.m. It may take up to 10 minutes for the tranquilizer to take effect, and in that time, authorities cautioned residents to stay indoors. "It may have effects on him and he may not be acting how he was a few minutes ago," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Mark Slater said. Where one tranquilizer dart would have done the trick, Fish and Game Lt. Mark Wall said two were needed due the bear's size.

Officials are cautioning residents to be alert after two mountain lions were found early Tuesday morning sitting on the front lawn of a home in Sierra Madre. A resident reported seeing the two cats about 12:32 a.m. in front of a house on the 600 block of Camillo Road, said Sgt. Ruben Enriques of the Sierra Madre Police Department. The cats were still in the yard when officers arrived, but police scared them off by turning on their sirens, he said. Wildlife encounters are common in the community, which lies in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

La Cañada Flintridge residents welcomed a visit from yet another member of the animal kingdom last Sunday when a bobcat took a daytime stroll down Melinda Thompson and Bill Scherkey's front porch on the 1400 block of Flanders Road. With multiple sightings of coyotes and bears already having occurred this year, bobcats are just the latest critter to make their presence known. Glenn Houser of the 5000 block of Jarvis Avenue also encountered a bobcat on the morning of Aug. 9. Ricky Whitman of the Pasadena Humane Society said that bobcats are a common sight in foothill areas.

The brouhaha over a pack of coyotes and their impending demise this week after North Glendale residents complained of their presence to L.A. County officials brought an important lesson to the fore. In a city with several urban areas wedged up against wildland, there's bound to be turf wars between humans and wildlife. As the hubbub unfolded, what started as a plan to remove - by trapping and euthanasia - a pack of coyotes that have taken up residence at a vacant, fire-gutted home on Brockmont Drive turned into a public uproar among those believe that the response to wildlife in urban areas shouldn't be death.

Everyone in Hollywood has a story, right? Countless aspiring actors, filmmakers and crewmembers have flocked to Los Angeles over the years looking for fame, fortune and glory via the silver screen. Each one brings with them a history, a memoir waiting to be written. While the lives and stories of those who are lucky enough to be born and raised around the film industry may not always seem as glamorous on the surface, often their adventures can be the most interesting. Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Jack Couffer ("Jonathan Livingston Seagull," 1973)