A new neighbor has moved to a California town and is causing concern. For months, a 500-pound black bear has been roaming the streets in the Tahoe Keys area of South Lake Tahoe, about 100 miles east of Sacramento.
Over seven months, the animal caused extensive damage to 33 properties and forcibly entered 28 homes, according to a Feb.
Fortunately, the CDFW said, there were no direct attacks on humans or pets in the area.
Residents “flooded” police lines with concerned calls, and CDFW said more than 100 individual reports of the bear had been reported to South Lake Tahoe Police.
Wildlife Department spokesman Peter Tira told CNN the department has been tracking incidents with this black bear since spring 2021.
“The incidents mainly occurred during the summer and fall of 2021, when the bear was hyperphagic, adding calories to survive the winter,” Tira said. Hyperphagia, according to the US National Park Service, causes bears to eat and drink almost nonstop during the fall in preparation for hibernation.
This bear, according to the CDFW, has lost its fear of people and is associating humans with access to food. Its large size helps it break into houses as it can push through front doors and garage doors.
In October, a California woman was attacked by a different black bear, who broke into her cabin in northern Lake Tahoe and searched her kitchen. The woman suffered scratches and other wounds all over her body.
There are a few options to keep the community and the bear safe: relocation, placing the bear in a facility or euthanasia. This last option has local bear advocacy groups such as the BEAR League worried.
Ann Bryant, the group’s executive director, told the CNN KCRA that other options are available besides euthanasia.
“The BEAR League contacted the director of an excellent out-of-state wildlife sanctuary, who said he has the space and is very willing to give this bear a permanent home,” Bryant told KCRA.
However, the CDFW said that relocation comes with many requirements and can affect the animal’s mental health.
According to the affiliate of CNNthe BEAR League offered to pay all relocation expenses.
“Although the Lake Tahoe area has a healthy and dense bear population, euthanizing an animal is always our last option,” Tira said.
If the CDFW captures the bear, it said it would consider moving it to the out-of-state facility. His location on Friday was unknown, but his last reported sighting was a few days ago when he was seen walking down a street in the Tahoe Keys, CDFW said.
The Department of Wildlife is advising area residents to be vigilant and store and dispose of food responsibly, as bears are guided by scent.
Source: CNN Brasil
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