Burbank police officers were called to an unusual trespassing situation on Friday afternoon. A black bear was reported swimming in a backyard hot tub on the 1300 block of Paseo Redondo in the Verdugo foothills around 3:30 p.m.
Upon arrival, officers found the bear enjoying a splash in the hot tub as a means to cool off from the intense heat. Shortly after the officers arrived, the bear climbed out of the tub, scaled a wall and ascended a tree in the same backyard.
The bear was still in the tree as of 5:45 p.m. on Friday and was being closely watched by the Burbank Police Department, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Burbank Animal Shelter.
This incident marked the second sighting of bears seeking relief from the heat in backyard hot tubs this week. Earlier, a mother bear and her cub were observed playing in a Jacuzzi in La Cañada Flintridge. As temperatures continue to climb, such encounters with wildlife are expected to become more frequent. This peculiar situation highlights the necessity of being aware of wildlife behaviors and taking precautions to avoid potentially dangerous encounters.