SoCal Wander has an informative article about California Black Bears and what do if you meet them. California Bears are typically not aggressive towards humans.
The article suggests that if you meet up with a black bear in California
- Remain calm and move slowly.
- If the bear is cornered, back off slowly to give it room to escape. Don’t turn your back on it, but do back up a few yards as calmly and slowly as you can. This is especially true if you meet a sow with small cubs
- Pick up any children with you, and leash your dog.
- Make noise.
- Do not run. Not even if the bear charges at you. If you can see the bear, it’s not stalking you, and it’s merely trying to intimidate you with a bluff charge. Running is prey behavior, and may encourage the bear to attack you for real. Black bears can run at 30 miles per hour and can climb trees. Stand your ground, and retreat only slowly, facing the animal the entire time.
- If the bear actually attacks you, fight back.
To learn more go to: What to do if You Meet a Black Bear on a Hiking Trail or City Street | Safety | SoCal Wanderer | KCET.
You might also want to check out the Department of Fish and Games website about California Black Bears and how to be bear safe: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/bear.html
A good site for general information about Black Bears is the Black Bear page at the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project Website (Black Bears are not Grizzlies).
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