Tahoe bear, human interactions on the rise
By Carlos Alcalá, Sacramento Bee
Officials from the California Department of Fish and Game and USDA Wildlife Services showed up at dawn at Lake Tahoe’s Fallen Leaf Campground early this week, looking for a bear sow and cub with a reputation for nonchalant visits to the tents.
The same bear had been trapped, tagged and run out of the campground with dogs and rubber bullets four weeks earlier in hopes of teaching her to avoid humans.
She didn’t learn.
In the middle of the night, as the busy Labor Day weekend approached, she swiped at a camper in his tent, injuring his arm. Officials decided they had to act before hundreds of people, and pets, showed up for the holiday.
Maybe the campers should be trapped, tagged and run out with dogs and rubber bullets in hopes of teaching them to avoid bears.
I am all about our black bears, but we also at times have to be proactive when it comes to problem (one of our own causing) bears. We can not afford to let a person get killed by a bear in a situation that can be dealt with. A few of our visitors to this area may at times be a little careless, and by all means need to be educated in bear/food etiquette, but as locals we should be leading by example. Living in peaceful coexistence with our bears AND visitors can be trying at times, but both are inherent parts of our community.