Topanga Town Council will host a “Topanga Bear Update” meeting on August 12, at 6pm, to provide some insight on Topanga’s new bear family, for locals. Local wildlife and environmental experts will share the story of mama bear Yellow 2291 (BB14) and her cubs, along with facts about bear behavior, safety tips for living alongside wildlife, and how to protect your trash. Bring your questions and curiosity, and be ready to learn how to live in harmony with our newest mountain neighbors!
6:00 – 6:10 – Introduction and overview of concerns about Mama Bear and her cubs – Susan Clark, Topanga Animal Rescue and Rosi Dagit, RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains.
6:10 – 6:20 – History of bears in Santa Monica Mountains – Jeff Sikich, Wildlife Biologist, NPS Manages fieldwork for the long-term Large Carnivore Study in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and surrounding region.
6:20 – 7:00 – Yellow 2291/BB14 background, general bear biology/behavior, bear management and conflict prevention recommendations – Jessica West, Environmental Scientist, CDFW currently involved in large mammal population monitoring and conservation projects.
7:00 – 7:10 – Bear-proof trash can update – Stacy Sledge, Topanga Town Council.
7:10 – 7:30 – Q&A about Topanga bear issues.
Join via Zoom: http://bit.ly/3U8JsYi
Dial in: +1 669 444 9171
Meeting ID: 896 9770 3891
Passcode: 798928
For those who can’t attend, the meeting recording will be available on OneTopanga.com and YouTube soon after.
Thank you for the link to the August 2025 Topanga Town Council meeting accessible via Zoom, and the excellent further resources recommended during that online meeting. Topanga residents who have wild manzanita bushes or trees around their homes will want to keep those well pruned since black bears do eat the buds, fruit, and new leaves from that plant species. Basically, a “no rewards” strategy (for visiting your property) worked the best for our family up in Mendocino county: For example, when we discovered that a bear liked to play with the tire on our outdoor wheelbarrow, we started keeping the tire in a locked room when the wheelbarrow was not in use. It’s hard to define in advance everything that should be kept indoors in bear country since it has been difficult for scientists to discover the IQ level of bears. If a bear were to approach you on trash pickup day while you are setting out cans for pickup, you could bang together 2 metal can lids or frying pan lids, which make a very loud noise.
One other thing: Several of our Topanga friends and family members like to leave some of their outer doors unlocked, especially during the day, but a few black bears have been observed using doorknobs to open outside doors. So stay safe, lock up those outer doors.