This article was underwritten in part by the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund for Social Justice, a proud, innovative supporter of local news. To make a contribution go to sbcan.org/journalism_fund .
The California Highway Patrol reported a dead bear on Highway 101 near Summerland earlier last week. That death followed a week of black bear sightings in the area, starting in Goleta in the early morning of April 15, and progressing to Isla Vista, UC Santa Barbara, More Mesa Beach, and eventually the Mesa neighborhood in Santa Barbara.
Given the bear’s apparent southbound route and the daily lack of black bears in urban Santa Barbara, it’s fair to assume the dead bear was likely our recent visitor. Neither the bear sighted around town nor the dead bear were tagged, however, so it’s impossible to confirm whether they are one and the same, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.