A Black Bear startled several Mendonoma Coast residents recently.

A light-colored Black Bear was seen near Hearn Gulch, then up on the Gualala Ridge and finally off of Fish Rock Road. The bear was foraging for food. When it visited Nancy and Rich Trissel off of Fish Rock Road, they got several photos. It was a foggy day so the photos aren't as clear as we'd like but they beat the one other photo sent to me. That photo was blurry because the photographer was so scared and excited.

Here are several photos Nancy took.

Nancy wrote, “The bear noshed for a good twenty minutes outside our back door. There was a splash of white, a crescent moon, on the bear’s chest. The face was dark, the shoulders and back were blond and the hind end darker. It was wonderful to see!”

Thanks to Nancy for allowing me to share her photos with you here and also thanks to Rozann Grunig who worked on the lighting of these photos to better show the bear.