Four bears, including a mom and her three cubs, were spotted Wednesday afternoon in the residential area of Encino.

NBC Los Angeles first learned about the bears in the area of Petit Avenue and Ventura Boulevard, less than a mile away from the Santa Monica Mountains.

Later, the mama bear and her cubs were seen enjoying a sweet afternoon nap.

Wildlife officials believe the female bear, along with her cubs, were out in Encino, looking for food. Credit: California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife said its officials became aware of the black bears Tuesday after a report from an Encino resident.

The female bear was known to wildlife officials as she was spotted and tagged by wildlife officials in 2024 after the animal traveled across Southern California from Claremont to Chatsworth, crossing the 5 and 14 freeways.

The adult bear, tagged as Yellow 2291, also known as BB14, is about 4 to 6 years old, weight about 175 pounds. Her cubs were born mid-January 2025, weighing about three pound during their March checkup.

Officials have been monitoring the bear family, believing that the cubs are healthy. The cubs are supposed to learn survival skills, including foraging, but instead, they are learning to grab food from trash cans in the Topanga area.

Their den is under a rocky outcrop near Palisades Fire burn area but unaffected by the fire, officials said.

The bear family was not believed to be injured. It was not linked to any injuries or home break-ins.

Officials said the mama bear probably brought the cubs out while she looked for food.

Wildlife officials urge Encino residents to remove pet food or garbage from outside as they could attract the bear family.

“These bears can smell something from 5 miles away. They have noses that are 100 times stronger than a human, and 8 times stronger than a bloodhound,” officials said.

Anyone who encounters the bears was urged not to corner them or get in the way. While black bears tend to run away from humans, officials remind people to make themselves big by extending and waving hands, make noise and back away slowly to a building or a car.