Trio of bears take swimming tour of neighborhood pools

PASADENA, Calif., Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A bear and her two cubs made themselves at home in a California neighborhood by swimming in backyard pools and mingling with local dogs.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the sheriff's office began receiving calls about a group of black bears who wandered out of the woods and into the neighborhood.

"It's not unusual at all to see bear activity," Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Andrew Hughan said. "But it's unusual to have them in the pool."

After swimming in neighborhood pools the bears created more mischief by rummaging through garbage bins and even breaking glass, trying to get into a home.

Hughan said the mother bear appeared to weigh about 300 pounds while the cubs appeared "pretty darn healthy too."

Their romp around the neighborhood was ultimately cut short when they encountered a dog outside one of the homes that scared them off

"The dog's not in any harm," Hughan said. "The bear, she'll stay up in the tree with her cubs, that's her priority right now. The bears are scared of dogs, luckily."

The bears remained in the area as sheriffs arrived on the scene to attempt to guide them away from the neighborhood.

"We're trying to just let them go back up and into the hills...back to their houses," Sheriff's Sgt. Keith Gibbons said.