Unbearably close

Monroe resident Marcelo S. La Rosa and his daughter, Angela, were talking with some neighbors last Friday afternoon on Hilltop Road when they spied a black bear up in a tree between two homes about 40 feet away. La Rosa estimated the bear weighed between 400 and 500 pounds and was about 20 feet up in the tree for about 45 minutes. La Rosa said he took some photos with a 28-105 mm lens, but then switched to one with a 75-300 mm lens and was able to get within 25 to 30 feet of the tree to capture this picture. Calls to the Monroe Police Department about bears happen with some frequency; police have had success in scaring off the bears by using the sirens on their cruisers. (Photo by Marcelo S. La Rosa)