A black bear being monitored by the National Park Service (NPS) was tragically struck and killed by a vehicle on the 101 Freeway in Ventura County on a Friday, according to authorities. The incident was reported to the California Highway Patrol by a driver, and the bear’s carcass was later found on the median by a NPS biologist around 10:30 p.m.
The bear, a male estimated to be 3-4 years old, had been fitted with a GPS radio collar in April when captured in the western Santa Monica Mountains, south of the 101 Freeway. The bear, referred to as BB-12, had successfully crossed major roads five times during the short period it was being tracked.
“Roadkill is the number one source of mortality for our mountain lions, so there’s no reason to believe it would be much different for other large carnivores,” said Jeff Sikich, the lead field biologist for the mountain lion study at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
BB-12’s movements had provided valuable insights into the region’s connectivity. For instance, he had visited the beaches in Malibu a few times, and his paw prints were discovered near Leo Carrillo State Beach in early June. His last known location was in the Wildwood neighborhood of Thousand Oaks around midnight on July 20.
“BB-12’s tracking data, though gathered over a short period, was especially useful for learning about connectivity in the region,” said Seth Riley, the wildlife branch chief for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
In an effort to reduce wildlife fatalities on the 101 Freeway, Caltrans is currently constructing the Wallis Annenberg Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing in Agoura Hills.