A family of bears was recently rescued from a large water tank in California. A group of hikers and runners discovered the mother bear and her two cubs stuck in the tank near Claremont Wilderness Park’s 5-Mile Loop Trail in La Verne on Saturday, Aug. 29.
The La Verne Fire Department uses the tank, also called a cistern, to store water for emergency fire services or wildfire suppression.
Temperatures in the park reached over 98 degrees, and the bears likely climbed in searching for water. One of the cubs seemingly was able to escape and was found in a nearby tree.
Thankfully, firefighters helped the other bears escape unharmed. The tank was then closed properly to prevent future incidents.
Hikers Heard the Bears Trying to Escape
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Hikers and runners passing near the tank heard noises and then spotted the bears about three feet away. Rescuers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the La Verne Fire Department, and the Los Angeles County Fire Department arrived to help rescue them.
The CDFW told KTLA, “The bears were discovered by people walking near the well who heard what they described as howling and investigated. They then reported the incident to authorities.”
Rescuers believe they may have squeezed through a vent at the top to try to reach the water. Once inside, they couldn’t scale the walls to get back out and had to keep swimming to keep their heads above water.
Emergency crews drained the water in the tank to keep the bears from drowning, then widened the opening and lowered a ladder inside. After a while, the cubs ran up the ladder, followed by their mother.
All of the Bears Returned Safely to the Wild
The mother bear and all of her cubs escaped safely and seemed uninjured. They returned to the surrounding wilderness area. Officials then secured the tank’s opening to keep the situation from happening again.
“The water tank was drained during the rescue operation by the La Verne Fire Department and is now being secured to prevent bears or other wildlife from becoming trapped there in the future,” CDFW added.