Fourth of July

Bear Cub Crashes Revelers' Fourth of July Party

A group of photographers stood atop Mount Wilson to capture fireworks when their eyes were captivated by this small but mighty bear

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Leave it to a bear cub on the Fourth of July to remind us we share this land.

Ryan Duke had joined a group of photographers atop Mount Wilson to capture fireworks when their eyes were captivated by this small but mighty bear.

"I heard someone yell, 'Bear!' I looked up and I almost didn't believe it at first," said Duke, a photographer. "I thought it was just a joke. I personally was yelling. I was raising my hands in the air, trying to appear bigger."

While some stood their ground, others tried to scare the bear away.

At one point the bear bit a man as he turned his back.

Later the man can be heard shouting he's fine.

"This person ended up staying to watch the fireworks," Duke said. "I'm sure it was a tiny nibble but still something startling and unexpected."

Duke says the bear eventually made its way back into the brush. But not before asserting his freedom on Independence Day.

"The lesson here is that never forget when you're in the wilderness, that you're a guest in someone else's home in the wild there," he said.

A bear cub and mom splash around in a Glendale pool. Credit: Paul Hubler
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