With a record heatwave surging in California, one furry local found the scorching temperatures to be more than he could bear ― so he took matters into his own paws and found a nice backyard pool to cool off in.
On Friday, police in Burbank responded to reports of a bear sighting around 3:30pm in a residential neighbourhood. Officers found a bear chilling out in a whirlpool bath behind one of the hillside homes, CNN reports.
The ursine interloper was seen at a home some 10 miles north of Los Angeles, near the Verdugo Mountains, according to The Associated Press.
Shortly after the encounter, the bear ― who police say was “beating the heat” ― climbed out of the water, “made his way over the wall” and headed to a tree behind the home, police told the AP.
Police monitored the incident alongside the Burbank Animal Shelter and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to a news release from the Burbank Police Department.
Burbank police posted footage of the bear’s relaxing moment on Twitter. The clip has since been viewed more than 390,000 times.
“Poor guy. The scorching heat is taking a toll on this poor fellow,” one Twitter user commented.
Another quipped: “Well behaved. Just needs a towel.”
“It’s just trying [to] cool off ... imagine carry[ing] around all that fur on a hot LA day,” another person commented.
Burbank police have since issued a community alert for bear sightings. The department advises people never to approach or feed bears, and to lock up all garbage and food so as not to attract unwanted visitors.
Bears are common in California, as the state flag might suggest. An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 black bears currently call California home, according to the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Last August, during another heat wave, a different bear was seen on security footage floundering around in a pool at a home in Monrovia, just east of Los Angeles.