CRESTLINE, Calif., July 24 (Inland Empire News Online) — A black bear wandered into the Crestline Village Water District office in the San Bernardino Mountains on Wednesday afternoon, pushing open the front door on its hind legs before calmly leaving minutes later, according to district surveillance video and staff accounts.
The bear entered the office about 12:15 p.m., stayed in the lobby area for roughly two minutes and then moved briefly into the main office before heading back out, staff said. Employees said no customers were in the building at the time and no one was hurt.
Office workers said the bear did not damage the building, though they noticed nose prints on the doors and around the office after it left. The district video showed the animal appearing to sniff around the room before turning back toward the woods.
Staff described the bear as moving through the office without agitation. One employee said the encounter was startling but that the bear appeared to be “just cruising through,” and that everyone was safe.
The incident took place at the Crestline Village Water District in Crestline, a mountain community in San Bernardino County that has seen repeated bear activity in nearby neighborhoods.