A bear broke into a home in California on May 24 — just to steal Oreos, which is believed to be its favourite snack.

Residents in the area, who have had many encounters with bears before, have even christened this particular bear, "Oreo".

The bear's antics were widely reported by U.S. media.

Struck twice in 2 weeks

Footage of the incident showed the bear breaking into the home through a window.

It later emerged with a blue pack of Oreo cookies dangling from its mouth.

"I was scared to death," a neighbour said.

"He was so close. That never happened before."

Not that this was the first Oreo hunt for Oreo the bear.

The same bear struck a week earlier at the same home by picking out a pack of Oreos from the family car, which contained other groceries.

The bear was described in another news bulletin as "cute" but "potentially dangerous", and "unfazed by the people nearby watching in awe".

Bears claiming their territory

Residents' encounters with bears have been part of life in the Californian city of Monrovia.

The neighbour interviewed added that she had a similar encounter in 2023 when a bear, reportedly a different one, broke into her garage and took a chocolate cake from her refrigerator after rummaging through it.

"Now that he actually broke into the house, it's a bit scary," the neighbour said.

"I feel like I can't leave a window open even with a screen because he literally took the screen out, so that's a little alarming for me."

The bear's apparent emboldened ways have become jarring for the human inhabitants of Monrovia, who live along Canyon Crest Drive.

Another resident in the neighbourhood said: "For the last 10 years, particularly the bears, have become more bold and have assumed more territories as their own."

Top photos via ABC7