Discovery Bay Resident Shares Video of Bear Roaming Streets

Discovery Bay resident Scott Persson has shared a 7-minute video of a bear who has been spotted in East Contra Costa County multiple times since Friday.

In this video, it was taken around 6:15 am Sunday in the Town of Discovery Bay on Marina Circle. This video comes after others had been popping up since first being spotted in the City of Oakley followed by the Town of Knightsen on Tule Lane.

Since the Oakley Police update Friday, there has been no information released by Contra Costa County, Town of Discovery Bay or the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office.

Via City of Oakley

As of 11:10 am Friday, City of Oakley released the following statement:

“We have received several reports of a sighting of a large animal- possibly a bear- in the area of Delta Vista Middle School. We are aware of it and the Department of Fish and Game is involved. If you see the animal, do not go near it. Please call the OPD non-emergency line at (925) 625-8060 to report a sighting to aid Fish and Game.”

3:32 pm: BEAR SIGHTING UPDATE

This morning (Friday, June 4th) at around 8:00 a.m., the Oakley Police Department became aware of a possible bear sighting in the area of Rembrandt Court and Warhol Drive. Our officers responded to the area and began investigating. Our officers discovered area residents were actually reporting about seeing a bear on their security camera systems, and the footage had been captured earlier in the pre-dawn hours (approximately 4:30 a.m.). The footage did confirm the presence of a bear.

Due to the nature of this investigation we solicited the assistance of the Contra Costa Animal Services Department to ensure the safety of the general public. We are also working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. We have also received assistance from the East Bay Regional Park District. Local stakeholders have also been notified of this investigation.

Our officers have not located the bear, nor have we made contact with anybody who has actually physically seen the bear. We do however believe it is quite possible for the bear to still be in the general vicinity.

The Oakley Police Department and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are working together to monitor this situation. We wish to stress the following:

• Do not try to approach or feed the bear
• Keep your pets inside
• When possible look for signs of bear activity (knocked down plants, damaged fences, scratch marks, pet food bowls strewn around etc…) before venturing into your backyard
• Do not place yourself in a situation that forces a confrontation with the bear
• Respect the animal and give it space

Although this is not at all a common situation we wish to remind everybody we actually live in an area that is shared with many forms of wildlife (Mt. Diablo mountain range and the California Delta). In these types of investigations the best outcome is for the bear to return to its habitat on its own. The Oakley Police Department, and our allied partners, will continue to follow-up on any additional bear sightings and we will keep our community posted.

A routine bear sighting may be reported to us via dispatch at 925-625-8060. Any emergency may be reported by calling 911.