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Authorities trying to curtail human-bear interactions


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Human interactions with bears at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center during the Kokanee salmon spawn have become a public safety concern.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Nevada Department of Wildlife and the U.S. Forest Service are asking visitors to keep their distance when encountering bears.

Visitor center staff routinely encounter unsafe situations when guests ignore posted instructions and get close to bears to take photos and videos. Bears are unpredictable wild animals and may attack if they feel threatened. Wildlife authorities may kill bears if they attack people.

The federal and state agencies do not encourage visits to see bears and advise the public to stay away from bears, as they are dangerous wild animals. At Taylor Creek, visitors should stay on trails, respect wildlife and keep a safe distance if bears are present. Never approach bears for any reason, including a photo opportunity.

If visitors continue to disregard directions to stay away from bears at Taylor Creek, the Forest Service may close the area for public safety.

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Comments

Comments (8)
  1. Irish Wahini says - Posted: September 25, 2015

    Some people are so stupid! If locals are around when visitors try to get close to bears for photos or whatever, they should comment to them that this is dangerous and illegal. Maybe the Forest Service should have docents with badges walking the Taylor Creek area during the spawning period to keep these dopes disengaged.

  2. Liberule says - Posted: September 25, 2015

    Last weekend I saw a tourist punch a bear in the face to get a good photo. This has to stop.

  3. Steven says - Posted: September 25, 2015

    Make up your mind !
    Let’s ask all the tourists and locals to come celebrate the Kokanee spawning at the festival and then tell them to stay away from Taylor Creek.
    Drop the festival and all publicity about the Kokanee spawning and end the problem.
    Once again, publicity and the never ending drive for tourist dollars, has created the problem.

  4. Cheva Gabor, USFS Public Affairs says - Posted: September 25, 2015

    Irish Wahini, thanks for the suggestion that locals help to educate our visitors about appropriate behavior. The Forest Service has uniformed staff present at Taylor Creek throughout the Kokanee spawn to talk to visitors about safe and enjoyable wildlife viewing.

    Unfortunately, last year, the staff encountered situations in which visitors not only disregarded their instructions but treated them in a manner that made them concerned for their safety.

    Steven, we’ve been shifting the focus of the festival in recent years anyway due to concerns about highlighting nonnative fish. But there’s years of tradition behind the festival and coming to see the salmon in the fall, so a sudden change isn’t likely.

    In any case, we think it’s reasonable to expect that adult visitors can come enjoy Taylor Creek in the fall and help their children do the same without trying to take selfies with bears. So that’s going to be our goal this year. We’ll evaluate what happens and go from there.

  5. Local2 says - Posted: September 26, 2015

    How are the Kokanee going to swim up-stream when even the mouth of Taylor Creek is closed off at the Lake due to drought. Are they going to open up the Fallen Leaf Damn? I have walked around there and the stream is just small pools of still stagnant water.

  6. fromform says - Posted: September 26, 2015

    neither kokanee nor humans are indigenous

  7. Rob5 says - Posted: September 26, 2015

    If you start your time period early enough, nothing is indigenous.

    The environmental movement seems intent on stopping change at about their grandfathers time.

    What exactly is wrong with the kokanee salmon in Lake Tahoe, other than they were not always here?

  8. Tahoebluewire says - Posted: September 27, 2015

    Bay trash go home.