Tahoe bear-human encounters on the rise
By Jeff Delong, Reno Gazette-Journal
People and bears have grown a little too close for comfort in the Reno-Tahoe area, a situation increasingly dangerous for both.
Behavior and physical characteristics of bears living near urban areas are altered.
A bear in a South Shore neighborhood in fall 2009. Photo/Janice Eastburn
They’re bigger — sometimes much bigger. Many skip winter naps.
They reproduce early and often. They die young. And every year, aggressive black bears smash their way into homes and cars in food-hunting burglaries that can put them in dangerous proximity to people.
Some experts question if these are still truly bears.