A mother bear and her cubs were rescued after becoming trapped inside a water tank in Marshall Canyon Regional Park in La Verne, California.
Footage captured by Tyler Christensen shows the bears inside
the tank. Christensen said his mother called him early on the morning of Aug. 29 after encountering the animals during her daily hike.
Christensen said he hiked 2 miles into the mountains to check on the bears. He found the animals huddled together and scared inside the tank.
According to reports, the bears had squeezed through a 1-foot-wide opening in the concrete structure and became trapped for more than 12 hours.
First responders later launched a rescue mission dubbed “Operation Care Bear.” Crews widened the opening and placed a ladder inside the tank, allowing the bears to climb out. Footage released by the Los Angeles County Fire Department shows the mother bear and two of her cubs exiting the tank.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bear family climbs to safety after water tank rescue in California
