“This one was interesting …”
One evening, the Altadena Sheriff’s Station in California received a call from a concerned resident who had spotted a large bear roaming the neighborhood. The caller asked for assistance in gently encouraging the bear to move along.
“Deputies responded,” Operations Sergeant David Salazar told The Dodo. “Our mission on these types of calls is to ensure there’s no immediate threat to human life — and that the bear remains unharmed.”
But when deputies arrived on scene, they discovered something unusual: the hefty bear wasn’t alone.
“We frequently get bear calls,” Salazar explained. “However, this one was interesting because of the coyote with him.”
The sheriff’s station shared the moment on social media, comparing the unlikely duo to “coworkers on a lunch break.” And that may not be far from reality.
According to Steve Gonzalez of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, it’s not uncommon to see coyotes trailing bears. They often benefit from the bear’s foraging, scavenging leftover food that would otherwise be hard to find.
In the wake of the destructive wildfires that ravaged the area the year before, such behavior may be increasingly common as animals adapt to shrinking habitats and limited resources.
“Altadena’s wild side never disappoints!” the sheriff’s station wrote. “Happy to see our wildlife thriving again.”