Topanga’s Wildlife Legacy Spotlighted in the Wall Street Journal
Being featured in the Wall Street Journal is a meaningful moment for Topanga. Journalist Jim Carlton visited our canyon to learn about our local bears, and Town Council board member Stacy Sledge helped connect him with key contacts. She also coordinated with Susan Clark and Ken Mazur of Topanga Animal Rescue, who toured the WSJ team through several of our well-known bear-activity areas—an invaluable introduction to Topanga’s landscape and community. Thanks TAR!
The article highlighted several locals, including Jane Hoover of Topanga Home Grown (who sells fun bear-themed goodies) and Leslie Carlson, former owner of Pine Tree Circle, whose koi pond famously became one of BB14’s “sushi bars.” Jessica West, the environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife—and a featured presenter in the Topanga Town Council’s online bear meeting—offered critical insight into BB14’s long travels, her unexpected return to Topanga, and the discovery of her three cubs.
As always, Topanga met this story with a mix of wonder, humor, and real-world experience. Neighbors described bears helping themselves to koi, dipping into backyard pools, snatching bird feeders, rattling trash bins, and even squaring off briefly with coyotes.
But the WSJ feature also underscores the challenges of life in a wildland-urban interface. Coexisting with bears means securing trash, reducing attractants, protecting pets and livestock, and knowing how to respond when wildlife comes close. It requires adapting our habits and keeping these animals wild—especially as drought, climate pressure, and increased activity in the canyon shape their behavior.
We’re grateful that the Wall Street Journal portrayed Topanga with warmth, accuracy, and curiosity. This kind of national visibility helps amplify the work of residents, volunteers, scientists, and agencies who have long been committed to responsible coexistence in our canyon.
And stay tuned—Waste Management bear-resistant trash cart program coming soon!