By Mary O’KEEFE

Neighbors along the foothills have reported seeing a bear with a green tag that reads 162. The female bear first showed up in the spring at a preschool in Altadena. She was “immobilized” and relocated back into the Angeles National Forest. Then about two weeks later she showed up again – this time in La Cañada Flintridge. Residents in Crescenta Valley have also reported seeing her strolling along local streets.

The California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife responded and deemed the female bear not aggressive and, in fact, wasn’t really causing any problems.

“We moved her [to the forest] two additional times and each time she came back to the urban habitat,” said Rebecca Barboza, wildlife biologist with Fish and Wildlife. “She has been fed by people; she is not a candidate for relocation.”

The bear now knows where the free lunches are and is expected to continue returning to local neighborhoods. She is not aggressive, according to Barboza, so as long as she is not causing a real problem Fish and Wildlife will be leaving her alone.

Some had asked what the significance of having a green tag affixed to her as opposed to other colored tags. There is no specific reason for the different colors for different bears; it is just a random choice.