A TV helicopter crew in California managed to capture the image of a man who was using his mobile phone and walking into the path of a 500 lb black bear.

The homeowner calmly walks towards the giant animal, engrossed in his mobile.

However, just feet before he reaches it, he notices the huge bear – and turns and runs in the nick of time.

Residents of La Crescenta, California, were warned to be on the lookout for the bear, which was only finally contained in a back garden this morning.

A TV helicopter crew in California managed to capture the image of a man who was using his mobile phone and walking into the path of a 500 lb black bear

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies received a call of a bear sighting at around 3 a.m. on Tuesday in the 2800 block of Manhattan Avenue, KTLA-TV reported.

La Crescenta station sheriff’s deputies and the Glendale Police Department responded, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Mark Slater.

“We did locate about a 500, 600-pound bear in this immediate area,” Sgt. Mark Slater said.

“He’s been wandering through the residential area for the last several hours.”

“Department of Fish and Game is en route,” Mark Slater said.

“They have ultimate responsibility over it. Our role right now is if the bear is docile and just hunkering down, we’ll let him continue that until Fish and Game gets here.”

A police helicopter has been tracking the bear, which is believed to be the same animal that broke into a garage and pried open a refrigerator to snack on some frozen meatballs last month.

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