A trail camera has captured a remarkable moment in Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve — the first confirmed sighting of black bear cubs in the area since conservationists began monitoring the species nearly ten years ago.
The footage, taken in the early morning hours of December 22, 2024, shows a mother bear walking through the park with two cubs believed to be around one year old. The cubs were recorded wandering close to their mother, offering a rare glimpse into bear family life in the wild.
Bears Returning, and Reproducing, in Hood Mountain
This marks a key development for wildlife experts, who have tracked bear activity at Hood Mountain for nearly a decade. While sightings of individual bears have occurred, this is the first video evidence of successful reproduction inside the 3,600-acre park.
“While we suspected that bears were reproducing and not just passing through on occasion, to finally actually see the cubs, that was very exciting,” said Sheila Murphy, a Wildlife Management Technician with Sonoma County Regional Parks.
According to Murphy, the cubs will likely leave their mother later this spring or summer, continuing the natural cycle of black bear behavior.
Part of a Natural Expansion Into Sonoma County
The appearance of cubs in Santa Rosa’s eastern hills is part of a broader, natural range expansion of black bears into Sonoma County. These animals are gradually moving in from nearby regions such as Mendocino, Lake, and Napa counties.
“It’s just a natural process of needing to move into new spaces,” Murphy explained. “And we know if animals are reproducing in our parks that there is adequate habitat for them to do so.”
For park officials and conservationists, the sighting represents something larger than a rare wildlife moment. It signals that the environment is healthy enough to support apex mammals — not just temporarily, but as a reproductive habitat.
“It’s a good sign as to the health of our parks; being able to provide them with enough food and shelter to not just survive but to also reproduce,” Murphy said.
Conservation Tools Pay Off
The discovery was made thanks to a trail camera, a key technology used in modern wildlife management. These motion-activated cameras offer non-intrusive ways to track animals, monitor population changes, and study how species use their habitat — all without disturbing their natural behavior.
According to The Cool Down, conservationists have relied on these tools to verify species recovery and measure the effectiveness of preservation strategies. This recent footage affirms that targeted conservation efforts are working on the ground.
Infrastructure for Coexistence
As black bears become more frequent visitors — and now residents — in the Sonoma County park system, officials are preparing for long-term coexistence.
Steps are already being taken to install bear-resistant trash cans, dumpsters, and food lockers throughout the park network. These upgrades are meant to reduce conflicts between bears and humans, especially in campgrounds and high-traffic areas.
The nonprofit Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation is leading this effort, using grant funding to purchase new bear-proof containers.
“Bear-proof infrastructure continues to be a critical priority in Sonoma County Regional Parks,” wrote Melissa Kelley, the foundation’s Executive Director, in a statement to The Press Democrat. “These containers will be installed throughout the Regional Parks system.”
Each bear-resistant food locker or container can cost around $2,000. The foundation is actively welcoming donations at sonomacountyparksfoundation.org to help cover the expense.
What to Do If You Encounter a Bear
With the black bear population slowly rising in the region, officials are encouraging the public to follow bear-aware guidelines, especially when hiking or camping.
“If bears become comfortable coming in close to people, that’s when they can be more at risk for harm, and people can be more at risk for harm,” Murphy noted.
If you encounter a bear in a developed area like a parking lot or campsite, experts recommend trying to haze the bear. This means making loud noises, yelling, banging pots and pans, and acting aggressively to scare the animal away.
When encountering a bear on a trail or in the wilderness, follow these steps:
- Give the bear plenty of space
- Do not run
- Speak calmly so the bear knows you are there
- Avoid eye contact
- Back away slowly
- Don’t climb trees
- Don’t drop food or backpacks
- Leave the area if possible
- Report the sighting to park staff
These guidelines help ensure both human and animal safety, and prevent the kind of interactions that lead to wildlife becoming a danger — or endangered.
Education and Research to Support the Future
Sonoma County Regional Parks is part of the North Bay Bear Collaborative, a group that conducts community outreach and research on the local bear population.
Their aim is to help people safely coexist with the returning predators. More information can be found at beingwithbears.org.
It’s amazing to see a long lost predator reappear after nearly 10 years