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Biologist: Tagged female black bear with three cubs spotted in Topanga; residents urged to secure trash, report sightings
Summary
A biologist told the Megaton Council that a tagged female black bear (BB14) and three cubs are frequenting Topanga. Officials urged residents to secure attractants, give bears an escape route and report sightings to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Rosie Daggot, a biologist with the Resource Conservation District, told the Megaton Council in June 2025 that a female black bear identified locally as “BB14” is visiting Topanga with three cubs.
Daggot said the bear is known to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) by the tag number Yellow-2291 and has an unusually wide travel history, having crossed several major freeways and moved between the Angeles National Forest and the Santa Monica Mountains. “She was first tagged in the Angeles Forest,” Daggot said, and she has denned in the Santa Monica Mountains and returned with cubs.
Why it matters: black bears are not native to most of coastal Southern California, and this is the first known instance Daggot cited of a black bear reproducing in the Santa Monica Mountains. Local officials said they want to reduce human-bear conflicts to keep animals and people safe.
Daggot and meeting host Carrie told residents to avoid leaving food or honey accessible to the bear, to use bear-resistant practices for trash storage, and to follow CDFW reporting procedures. Daggot said bears typically avoid people if confronted: residents should make themselves large, yell and not run so as not to trigger a chase response. She also advised creating escape routes — for example, not putting a dog between a person and a bear — so a mother bear can find a clear path away from people and pets.
The Resource Conservation District and local volunteer group 1Topanga will post CDFW guidance and reporting links on their site to encourage residents to file sighting reports with date, location and a description. Daggot said CDFW generally does not intervene unless a bear has no other recourse, and that reporting helps wildlife managers track animals and make informed decisions.
Ending: Residents with beehives or unsecured trash were specifically advised to take steps now to deter the bear. Officials asked anyone who sees BB14 to report the sighting through the CDFW hotline or via the links 1Topanga will publish so biologists have up-to-date location data.
