Watch local celebrity Oreo the bear steal snacks right out of resident's fridge

Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
·2-min read

Bears are known to eat fruit, nuts and honey but one in California has a soft spot for Oreos.

Residents of a Los Angeles County neighborhood nicknamed a bear Oreo after he was seen fleeing a home with a packet of the cookie brand. No injuries were reported.

Security footage caught the bear ransacking a refrigerator for desserts in Monrovia, California, according to local news outlets. The animal snuck into a garage through an open door before leaving with the sandwich cookies, KTLA reported.

"Lately, he’s been too comfortable with us," Vine Khoury, who has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years, told KNBC. "He got to open a neighbor’s car and got the groceries out. Got a box of Oreos and that’s where his name came from."

Bears common in neighborhood, residents say

Bears are also locals in the Monrovia neighborhood. With the city's proximity to the San Gabriel Mountains, wild animals have a recurring presence, from coyotes and mountain lions to deer and bobcats, Monrovia's website states. Police often respond to wildlife sighting to "allow the animal to leave the area and return back to the foothills"

"In most incidents, the officer's presence, use of vehicles, horns, beanbag rounds, is sufficient to encourage the animal to leave the area," the city website reads.

Resident Meg Linton said one night her dog came "nose-to-nose with a bear" in a moment she called "electrifying," KTLA reported.

As for Oreo, the bear commonly returns to satisfy its sweet cravings. Khoury said the bear entered her garage last summer and stole a box containing a chocolate cake out of her garage, according to KNBC.

"I don't want them to hurt or kill the bear," Khoury added. "I would hate that, but at the same time, maybe relocate him."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bear nicknamed Oreo after stealing pack of cookies from garage

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