A bear that had been walking around in an industrial area of Chatsworth climbed a tree early Tuesday and camped out on a branch.

The bear was first spotted overnight in the area south of the 118 Freeway in the west San Fernando Valley community. Video showed the bear climbing over a chain-link fence, then scaling a tall tree near an industrial business complex and across the street from apartments.

The bear, who appeared to be wearing a tracking collar and ear tag, came down from the pine tree later Tuesday morning, then walked around the parking and crawled under a shade umbrella outside a business. A few minutes later, the bear climbed another tree.

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About bears in California

Black bears, which can have different color coats, like to feed on plants, insects, nuts, berries and whatever else they think of as edible — such as the contents of trash bins. If food is scarce in their natural habitat, bears are likely to forage elsewhere, bringing them into Southern California foothill neighborhoods.

California’s black bear population has been on the rise over the last two decades, growing from an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 in the early 1980s to between 25,000 and 30,000 — and that’s a conservative estimate, according to the state department of fish and wildlife.

Black bears, recognized by their small, narrow heads and small ears, have coats that range in color from tan or brown to black. Females grow up to about 200 pounds and males can be a hefty 350 pounds with some giants weighing in at more than 600 pounds.

About half of the state’s bear population can be found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and areas to the north and west. Only an estimated 10 percent of the black bear population inhabits central western and southwestern California.

Although its on the state flag, the fearsome grizzly bear no longer can be found in the California wild. The last grizzly bear observed in California was shot in the early 1920s.