Game wardens fret LA bear's celeb status

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GLENDALE, Calif., July 14 (UPI) -- Increasingly popular Twitter feeds have California officials worried their options in dealing with a wayward bear in a Los Angeles suburb are becoming limited.

A Glendale resident has been issuing updates and wisecracks under the handle TheGlendaleBear, which has in turn revved up the celebrity status of the bear folks have nicknamed "Glen Bearian."

Officials at the state Fish and Game Department told the Los Angeles Times while the tweets are a good way to educate the public about the dicey nature of bears prowling residential areas, they are also potentially increasing public pressure against killing the bear if it becomes an imminent threat or even a long-running nuisance.

"We may decide to destroy it; it's a decision that's out there for us," Department Capt. Michael Stefanak told the newspaper. "I'm not saying we're going to do that. But it's a possibility."

Stefanak and other authorities are also worried that tweeting bear sightings will also bring out large crowds of curiosity seekers trying to get a look at the animal.