Bear sighted outside Walmart in Ridgecrest later captured after falling asleep in tree Ridgecrest Daily Independent The California Department of Fish and Wildlife captured a male bear after it was spotted in the southeastern portion of Ridgecrest on Saturday morning, according to Ridgecrest Police Department Captain Aaron Tucker. CDFW officials caught the bear around noon Saturday. Tucker said the bear is safe, uninjured and appears to be healthy. No one was injured during the incident. CDFW will release the bear into its proper habitat, according to Tucker. The bear — which appears to be a black bear — was first reported to the Ridgecrest Police Department around 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning, Tucker said.