Black Bear Wanders into Cameraman’s Live Shot During News Report on Bear Attacks

A black bear wandered into a cameraman’s live shot during a journalist’s report about a recent bear attack, startling the news crew during the broadcast.

The incident occurred during a live report on KTLA in Monrovia, California, on Sunday morning, as reporter Erin Myers covered an earlier encounter involving a woman who had been swiped on the leg by a bear while walking her dog.

As Myers previewed her story at the start of the 9 A.M. broadcast, the bear appeared in the background of the shot. Audible gasps and startled reactions could be heard in the newsroom as the animal entered the frame just behind Myers.

When the camera returned to Myers, the black bear was visible near a large trap placed in a driveway, where officials were attempting to capture it. Authorities from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife were on scene monitoring the situation.

“You can see the bear actually walking into the trap, or no, it was going to, but now it’s walking out,” Myers says during the report, while stepping back from the animal.

During the live report — which has amassed almost 1.6 million views in two days — the bear moved through the driveway and onto a nearby lawn before running into a yard as a car approached. It later disappeared from view while authorities continued monitoring the area.

Residents tell KTLA that the bear is believed to be a mother with a cub and may have been living beneath a nearby home for several months. Officials have not confirmed whether the animal seen during the live broadcast is the same bear involved in the earlier encounter, in which the woman sustained minor injuries and is expected to recover. KTLA reports that the earlier incident may have occurred because the bear was defending its cub, which is common behavior for mother bears.

“If you do see one [a bear], don’t run, walk back slowly away from it,” Myers advises viewers during the broadcast.

During the news report, Myers reveals that this is not the first time a wild bear has wandered into the cameraman’s shot during a live broadcast.

“This is the second time I’ve had a bear show up on live TV with me,” Myers explains in the report.

In October, Erin Myers was reporting from Altadena, California, when another bear entered her live shot. As she informed viewers about where to find sandbags ahead of a storm, a brown bear appeared behind her. The animal emerged from bushes, lifted the lid of a trash bin, and began rummaging through its contents. As this unfolded, Myers told colleagues in the studio that she was returning to the news van to keep her distance. KTLA later confirmed that Myers and the photographer “were safe and out of harm’s way.”