Rare Black Bear Spotted in Mountains West of Los Angeles

This photo was taken by a camera trap provided by National Park Service, and it shows a black bear in Malibu Creek State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area July 26, 2016. National Park Service via AP

MALIBU, Calif. — The National Park Service says cameras recorded a rare sighting of a black bear in the mountains west of Los Angeles.

Officials said Thursday that researchers spotted the bear in images taken July 26 by cameras that monitor wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains, which are hemmed in by freeways and urban sprawl.