MESA, Ariz. - Paws what you're doing, there's a bear in Mesa.
Authorities say they are monitoring the situation after a bear was seen running around a Mesa neighborhood Wednesday.
A resident took video of the bear, walking down the sidewalk away from people.
"I thought it was a poodle—a giant poodle," said Michelle, who didn't want her last named used. "And then it got closer, and it was a bear."
The bear was seen running through residential streets, and onto a golf course and driving range.
According to Mesa police, the department received a call Wednesday afternoon after a bear was spotted drinking from a lake near Redmont Drive and Power Road. Officers checked the area, but weren't able to find the bear.
Other people reported seeing the bear from the nearby Red Mountain Ranch Country Club pool Wednesday, walking across the driving range. AZGFD confirmed that sighting.
According to AZGFD, Mesa is not a bear habitat, but the area does get younger bears that are looking for new territory. Officials believe the bear, betwenn 1 and 2 years old, was probably kicked out of its den.
"Bears get kicked out. They're looking for new territory," Game and Fish spokesperson Amy Burnett said. "Sometimes bears look to the Valley as, 'Hey, this is a potential new habitat. Then they find out there's no food."
Game and Fish said this was not a public safety issue and the bear was "not a nuisance."
Anyone who spots the bear should call Arizona Game and Fish. Do not feed or try to take photos of the bear
RAW VIDEO: Bear spotted in Mesa neighborhood
