A mother bear and her three cubs were safely rescued on Saturday after becoming trapped for more than 12 hours inside a large water storage tank in La Verne, California. Firefighters launched an operation dubbed 'Operation Care Bear' to free the distressed animals.
Glendora residents Eric McDonald and Jamie Kirk first discovered the bear family around 8 a.m. inside the dark concrete structure. They reported seeing a bear clinging to the walls of the tank, which was filled with water. Authorities believe the bears may have entered the tank seeking water amid humid weather conditions.
Before rescue efforts could begin, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife drained the remaining water from the tank to prevent the animals from drowning. The tank's original opening was too narrow for responders to enter or for the mother bear to exit.
Firefighters utilized a power saw to cut a larger opening into the side of the tank. A ladder was then lowered inside, creating a makeshift ramp for the bears to climb out. Keith Navarre of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) described the rescue, noting that the bears were exhausted. "It took a few minutes for the first cub to come out, then the second cub got out, and then finally the mother," Navarre said.
One cub had managed to escape on its own earlier in the ordeal. Authorities confirmed that this cub was safely reunited with its family after their escape. The reunited family then moved back into the wild.
