Inaugural Tahoe Bear Fest Happening at Spooner Lake State Park
Date: Saturday, September 28, 2024 Time: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Location: Spooner Lake State Park, Nevada
Admission: Free (Limited Parking Available)
Tahoe Bear Fest Debuts at Spooner Lake State Park
The Tahoe Interagency Bear Team (TIBT) and Nevada Division of State Parks are thrilled to announce the first-ever Tahoe Bear Fest at Spooner Lake State Park on Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This bear-focused, family-friendly event is designed to educate and engage the public on living and recreating responsibly in bear country.
Event Highlights:
• Educational Programs: Informative sessions will be held every 30 minutes starting at 11:30 AM, led by experts from agencies such as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Parks, Pathways for Wildlife, and the Nevada Department of Wildlife, featuring their specially trained Karelian Bear Dogs. These programs will cover various aspects of bear behavior, safety, and how to coexist peacefully with these magnificent creatures.
• Bear-Themed Booths: Explore booths offering bear-related information, interactive activities, and fun for all ages. • Bear-Resistant Refuse Education: Discover how to properly store food and garbage to prevent bear encounters.
• Participating Agencies: Educational activities and booths by Bear-ier Solutions, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Parks, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Nevada Division of State Parks, Pathways for Wildlife, USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, and Tahoe Bear Box.
About the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team (TIBT): The Tahoe Interagency Bear Team (TIBT) is a collaborative group of agencies and organizations dedicated to reducing human-bear conflicts in the Tahoe Basin. The team works together to promote bear safety through education, outreach, and the implementation of effective bear management practices. TIBT's efforts ensure that both bears and people can coexist peacefully in this beautiful region.
Celebrate National Public Lands Day: Tahoe Bear Fest coincides with National Public Lands Day (NPLD), the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands. NPLD is an opportunity for people across the country to connect with and give back to the parks, forests, and wildlife areas that enrich our lives. As part of this celebration, Tahoe Bear Fest aims to foster a deeper appreciation for the natural world, especially the wildlife that calls it home.
Be BearWise: Visitors are encouraged to always practice BearWise Basics. Here are a few tips:
• Store food securely: Never leave food unattended and use bear-resistant containers or lockers.
• Dispose of garbage properly: Always use bear-resistant garbage containers
• Stay alert and stay together: Be aware of your surroundings, especially when hiking or camping.
• Keep dogs leashed: Don’t make a bear defend itself.
• Never feed or approach bears.
Plan Your Visit: While the event is free to the public, parking at Spooner Lake State Park is limited. To ensure a smooth experience, visitors are encouraged to stagger their arrival times, carpool or use public transportation if possible.
Join us for a day of education, fun, and wildlife awareness at the inaugural Tahoe Bear Fest. Let’s work together to keep Tahoe bears wild and our communities safe!
CONTACT: Tyler Kerver, (775) 684-2745, tkerver@parks.nv.gov
June 2024: Tips from bear experts for camping in the Lake Tahoe Basin
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., July 03, 2024 – Headed to the Lake Tahoe Basin for a summer camping trip? Black bear biologists who work in the Tahoe Basin every day have some advice and thoughts to share to help keep Tahoe bears wild.
The Lake Tahoe Basin is the heart of bear country and bears in the basin are especially active and persistent in their search for food. Sometimes, the easiest food for them to find is human food and garbage.
“Anyone coming to the Tahoe area should educate themselves on bear behavior and general bear ecology. There are a lot of bears here and those bears have an incredibly strong sense of smell and a strong desire for food that intensifies at different times of the year, particularly in the fall with the onset of hyperphagia,” said Alexia Ronning, an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and one of CDFW’s human-wildlife conflict specialists assigned full-time to the Tahoe Basin.
Hyperphagia is the biological instinct for bears to fatten up for the winter, which drives them to consistently feed and search for food.
“Read and follow all the camp rules about bears when you arrive and take them seriously,” Ronning said. “If you do have an incident – whether it’s a bear getting into your car or getting into food at your campground – report it to your camp host or the proper government agency.”
Ronning encourages Tahoe Basin campers and visitors to pack a few specialty items to keep them safe while enjoying the outdoors and to help keep the Tahoe Basin’s bears from getting too close and comfortable around people, which is often the source of escalating human-bear conflicts. Conflicts are most likely to occur in settings where human food and garbage are present, such as campgrounds and neighborhoods.
“Consider carrying bear spray and read the product instructions carefully before going camping. Remember to spray bear spray downwind,” Ronning explained. “Bring an air horn and a whistle or bang pots and pans. Those noises will help scare a bear away to a safer distance and the noise will also warn fellow campers and hikers that a bear is nearby.”
Bear-proof ice chests are another essential component to any Tahoe Basin stay.
People assume their ice chests are bear-proof, but in most cases they are not. If they can’t be locked or latched securely with no way to pry a gap between the lid and the cooler, the ice chests need to go into a bear box. Campers need to have all the equipment to store food properly whether that’s a bear-proof canister for the backcountry or a bear-resistant ice chest for the campsite.
Once a bear gets a food reward it is more likely to come back so taking those preventative measures is the best way to keep campers and bears safe.
Toothpaste, deodorant, body spray, lip balm and similar scented items also attract bears and shouldn’t be left in vehicles, tents or loose around a campsite. These items should also go into a bear box or bear-resistant canister.
In the Tahoe Basin, bear encounters aren’t limited to campgrounds or backcountry destinations. Encounters can occur in neighborhoods, business districts and at any time, day or night.
One common problem Tahoe Basin bear experts see is conscientious campers using bear boxes for food storage and bear-proof dumpsters for garbage but not closing them securely. Those must be latched properly to be functional and effective.
Visitors to the Lake Tahoe Basin can play a key role in helping keep bears wild by practicing these strategies and being extra vigilant as bears approach the hyperphagia period.
For more tips and information about bear-safe camping, please see the following video from California State Parks and visit CDFW’s Human-Wildlife Conflicts webpage.
Use the following phone numbers and online resources to report a bear incident or conflict while camping or visiting the Tahoe Basin:
In California, contact CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/.
Non-emergency bear collisions in California State Parks can be reported to its public dispatch at 916-358-1300.
In Nevada, contact the Nevada Department of Wildlife at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
If the issue is an emergency, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
Learn more about keeping Tahoe bears wild at TahoeBears.org and BearWise.org.
May 2024: Late spring is an active time for Tahoe bear cubs and yearlings
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – As temperatures rise, bear cubs and yearling bears are emerging from winter dens. Some remain with their mothers, others are independent, and a few may show signs of illness. The Tahoe Interagency Bear Team urges the public to follow the guidelines below when encountering bear cubs this spring.
Cubs of the year, born around Feb. 1, are sticking close to their mothers while learning survival skills in the wild to prepare them for life on their own in about one year. For those cubs born a little over a year ago, now called yearlings, it is time for them to part ways with their mothers and siblings. Mother bears, once free of these “teenagers,” will once again find a mate and breed to continue the cycle of producing cubs every other year.
Cubs of the year are dependent on their mothers and are learning how to forage on natural foods, including grass, berries, grubs, and other wild fares. During this phase, mother bears may be protective of cubs so give them space. Never get between a mother bear and her cubs. If you see a small cub alone or up a tree for safety, the mother sow may be in the area. Back away and give them room to reunite.
This time of year, wildlife agencies receive many calls from people concerned they have found an orphaned cub when they are actually seeing an older yearling that is safely on its own. A good rule of thumb in knowing the difference is to look at the size of the bear. If the bear is the size of a cat (around 10 to 15 pounds), it is a new cub of the year, and chances are the cub’s mother is somewhere nearby. She may have sent her cubs up a tree while she goes to forage. Keep an eye on the cub and if you do not see its mother after a few hours, call the appropriate state wildlife agency below so a wildlife professional can assess the situation. Yearlings, on the other hand, are normally between 50 to 150 pounds and are well-equipped to make it on their own. They do not need handouts or human intervention.
Something that also seems to be reported to wildlife managers more and more each year are undersized cubs and yearlings, often orphaned and malnourished, and sometimes behaving oddly for a wild animal. These young bears tend to be alone, are small for their age and often skinny, with no fear of people, are reluctant or unable to flee, and exhibit habituated behaviors often described as “dog-like.” “These bears could just be hungry orphans looking for food, but increasingly we are seeing signs of neurologic disease symptoms like a slight head tilt or tremors,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Veterinarian, Brandon Munk.
Since 2014, CDFW and the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) have been investigating cases of encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain in young bears in the Tahoe Basin and throughout their range in California and Nevada. CDFW and NDOW have partnered with researchers at UC Davis and Oregon State University to determine the causes of encephalitis in California and Nevada black bears. They have discovered both viruses and parasites associated with the condition but have not yet confirmed the primary causes of the disease.
“We think the condition is more significant as a risk for increased human-bear conflict than a risk to bear populations or to people,” said Dr. Munk.
On occasion, a cub has truly been orphaned, which could result from a vehicle strike or other cause of death of the mother. You may also see a small bear that may be showing signs of encephalitis. In either case, the proper state authorities, CDFW or NDOW, should be called to evaluate the situation and safely transport the cub for evaluation and/or rehabilitation. Resist the temptation to offer food handouts to these bears or to collect a bear for transport yourself to preserve their chances of remaining wild and eventually being released back into the wild.
Picking up a cub too soon or while its mother is just around the corner can do a lot more harm than good. If the bear is a yearling, it is perfectly normal for it to be on its own. If you’re not sure, don’t hesitate to call a wildlife professional at CDFW, California State Parks or NDOW to ask. Check out the TIBT’s video on the differences between cubs and yearlings.
Don’t teach these young bears to be comfortable around people. If they are too close, make noise and scare them away so they don’t feel comfortable and want to stay. While it’s fun to see bears and even take pictures and videos, you’re communicating to the bear that it’s OK to be close to people, which can lead to habituation.
Bears are smart and acquire learned behaviors based on their experiences. If they have a negative, scary encounter with a human, chances are they will try to avoid people in the future. Allowing bears to become comfortable around people can lead to unwanted activity, including breaking into cars and houses or approaching people who are eating outdoors. It is illegal to feed bears both directly and indirectly by allowing them access to human food or garbage.
For more information on bear encounters, visit the BearWise webpage on how to behave if you see a bear.
To report human-bear conflicts or bear health concerns:
In California, contact CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir
Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to its public dispatch at 916-358-1300.
In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
Learn more about living in and visiting bear country at TahoeBears.org and Bearwise.org. Do your part to keep Tahoe bears wild.
April 2024: What does it mean to respect wildlife?
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., April 30, 2024 - As human beings, we are innately fascinated with the natural world and often spend time and money to view the strength and resiliency of wildlife. We have zoos, safaris, wildlife excursions, and more, that are dedicated to viewing wildlife. These entities serve as excellent venues for education and conservation, but the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team (TIBT) wants to remind the community that encouraging close interactions and viewing of bears around Lake Tahoe, outside of these carefully controlled environments can be detrimental in neighborhoods and for businesses facing rising human-bear conflicts. Interacting closely with wildlife puts them at risk for increased habituation to humans, consequently removing their wildness and instinct to avoid humans.
“Black bears are typically cautious around humans and by seeking out interactions with them or allowing them to den under homes you are exposing them to human presence, sounds, and smells,” said Urban Wildlife Biologist, Rebecca Carniello with Nevada Department of Wildlife. “The black bears in the Tahoe Basin are already frequently exposed to humans in neighborhoods and any additional exposure could increase their comfort levels around people. Although black bears are generally peaceful, we must remember that they are powerful and wild creatures, and they deserve our respect 100 percent of the time.”
Respecting wildlife means giving them their space and privacy to roam and be wild. While we share the landscape with black bears, it is important to set boundaries to protect ourselves and the bears. These boundaries include properly managing attractants (human food and garbage), hazing bears away from neighborhoods, campgrounds, and other human-inhabited areas, and never allowing bears to eat human-sourced food or trash. Habituated bears are not wild and therefore not healthy. Keeping bears wild in the Tahoe Basin is TIBT’s mission and it is the responsibility of all residents and visitors living and recreating in bear country.
TIBT wants to also highlight the local and nationwide issue of people increasingly encroaching upon wildlife, particularly bears, to take photos, videos and/or create social media content and habituating them to human presence. TIBT experts consider this to be disrespectful and harmful to wildlife, and one step closer to removing the wildness of these animals.
Not only does this action eliminate the important boundary between humans and wildlife, but it is also anthropomorphizing, or inappropriately attributing human emotions or human likeness to wild animals.
By naming bears and treating them as pets, we remove their wildness and disrespect their space, which encourages others to do so. It also encourages individuals unfamiliar with bear biology to gain a false sense of familiarity and comfort around these wild animals. Actions such as taking photos with bears, naming them, allowing them to den under homes, or any other behavior that shows wildlife can be comfortable around humans, can have devastating consequences. This can lead to potentially dangerous situations where bears can harm humans or damage property, ultimately ending in outcomes that nobody wants and that could have been avoided. We believe these bears deserve more. A bear’s life and wildness are worth more than likes, clicks, and engagement on social media. If you believe a bear is or has been denning under your home or a neighbor’s home or witness any other potentially problematic interactions between humans and bears, please contact the TIBT wildlife experts below.
For more information on bear encounters, visit the BearWise webpage on how to behave if you see a bear.
To report human-bear conflicts or bear health concerns:
In California, contact CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to their public dispatch at 916-358-1300.
In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
Learn more about living in and visiting bear country at TahoeBears.org and Bearwise.org. Do your part to keep Tahoe bears wild!
March 2024: Spring weather is coming, and with it some very hungry bears
The snow will melt soon in the Lake Tahoe region and winter will give way to a busy spring for area wildlife. Bears that have been wintering in their dens will emerge soon and they will be hungry!
Each fall, black bears go through hyperphagia (pronounced hi·per·fay·jee·uh) which is an increase in feeding activity (consuming about 25,000 calories a day) driven by their need to fatten up before winter. Over the course of the winter, bears’ bodies utilize those fat stores during hibernation when food is scarce. Come spring, their body mass will have naturally decreased and as a result, bears will be on the lookout for easily accessible food sources to help rebuild those fat reserves. Bears will instinctively seek out areas where they can find fresh greens like grasses and forbs which can bring them into neighborhoods.
As bears make their way through human-populated areas, please be vigilant about cleaning up and securing bear attractants. The Tahoe Interagency Bear Team (TIBT) knows that many people choose to feed birds in winter, but please do not let bird feeders attract and feed bears. Now is the time to take those bird feeders down completely.
Proper disposal of garbage can be difficult when snow piles up on the roads. Tahoe Basin residents should take a few minutes to dig out bear boxes to allow garbage to be easily secured inside. Clean out vehicles, and always keep vehicle windows closed and doors locked with no food or visible coolers inside. In addition, remember to keep doors and windows locked on buildings to prevent bears from breaking into structures.
Individual Actions Can Impact an Entire Ecosystem
Bears play an important role in Lake Tahoe’s ecosystem and allowing them access to human food and garbage is detrimental to the natural processes in the region. Bears help spread berry seeds through their scat, transport pollen, clean up animal carcasses after winter, eat insects, and provide other essential functions of nature.
As a result, if bears find food and garbage, bird seed, pet food, coolers, or other sources of human food, the Tahoe Basin loses the benefits bears offer to these natural processes. Unnatural food sources can impact their overall health by damaging and rotting their teeth and jeopardizing their ability to remain wild.
In fact, bears will unknowingly eat indigestible items from human trash like foil, paper products, plastics, and metal that can damage their internal systems and even lead to death. If these items do make it through their digestive system, they leave it behind in their scat rather than the native seeds and healthy fertilizer needed to grow the next generation of plant life.
Call the Experts
Spring is also the time of year that residents or visitors may see a bear they believe looks unhealthy, sick, or orphaned. Bear health concerns should be reported to TIBT’s wildlife professionals at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) or the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). These agencies have the training, expertise, and veterinary resources to assess a bear’s condition and transport it for care. Healthy bears mean a healthy Lake Tahoe ecosystem, but it takes everyone’s cooperation to contribute to the success of both.
For great tips aout responsibly coexisting with bears, visit tahoebears.org and bearwise.org.
The bottom line is that the Lake Tahoe Basin is bear country. It’s up to everyone, including those living in, visiting, or recreating in the Tahoe Basin to practice good stewardship habits by always securing food, trash, and other scented items. Good habits will help ensure Tahoe bears remain healthy and wild.
To report human-bear conflicts or bear health concerns:
In California, contact CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to their public dispatch at 916-358-1300.
In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
February 2024: Debunking Misinformation About Lake Tahoe's Black Bears
In recent weeks, misinformation about black bears has been circulating online and on flyers posted throughout the Lake Tahoe community. The Tahoe Interagency Bear Team (TIBT) is a collective of bear experts across state and local agencies who study and understand these animals and have devoted much of their professional lives to ensure the health and well-being of the Lake Tahoe Basin’s black bears. TIBT would like to set the record straight by debunking some of those claims and educating the public about the real issues and dangers this misinformation poses.
Tahoe bears may at times seem like a unique bear species due to their general lack of fear and boldness around humans, but these black bears follow the usual biological patterns of black bears across California and Nevada. Whether living in or visiting bear country here in the Tahoe Basin or beyond, this information should clarify what is really needed to help wild bears survive and thrive.
The Claim: Bears Need Human Help Denning During Hibernation
Many have seen photos and videos perpetuating the myth that property owners and residents should allow bears to den under homes and in crawl spaces. Some may have even seen people encourage this unwanted behavior by laying out hay and other materials for bears. But most homeowners don’t even know a bear is under or around their home until it has already established a makeshift den.
Bears can tear out wood and insulation, exposing pipes to freezing temperatures or damaging them in the process. Once a bear gets nice and cozy, it can be difficult to make it to leave. This increases the chances of human-bear conflict and habituated behavior. Bears have evolved to comfortably survive winter without human help, so it is very important to board up all crawl spaces around homes to discourage bears from setting up camp and damaging property. For more information about securing crawl spaces, watch this video.
The Claim: Bears Are Starving, and People Need to Feed Them
False! Black bears are some of the most resilient and adaptive animals and they can tailor their diet to what is available around them. It is true that bears need A LOT of calories, especially in preparation for winter but giving them handouts will not set them up to thrive. Giving a bear food teaches it to keep coming back and possibly investigate further by breaking into homes, vehicles, and garbage bins. This behavior will also condition cubs to do the same and continue the cycle of human-dependent bears. Human food and garbage are not good for bears and can make them sick and damage their teeth, leaving painful abscesses that can lead to death. And more importantly, feeding bears is ILLEGAL in California and Nevada.
Bears instinctively forage on a variety of natural foods including insects, plant material and carrion (dead animals) and have a vital biological role to play in healthy forests, from spreading seeds and fertilizing through their scat to curbing disease and keeping insect populations in check. If people teach bears to search for food in neighborhoods or other developed areas, that key biological role is lost. Even after an incident like the 2021 Caldor Fire, where a huge swath of vegetation burned, wildlife biologists saw bears find natural ways to survive like the resilient omnivores they are.
The Claim: Bears Belong in Neighborhoods
It can be exciting to see a big, beautiful animal like a black bear in a neighborhood, but that is not where they belong. Neighborhoods have roads with cars, which bears must cross in order to seek out unhealthy human food and garbage in developed areas. By allowing bears to comfortably live in or pass through neighborhoods, the chances that they will be struck and killed by vehicles increases immensely. If a bear is in a neighborhood, encourage it to move on by scaring it away so that it can lead a safe and natural life in the forest. For more information on bear-vehicle collisions, check out this video.
The Claim: Don’t Call the Experts
TIBT is dedicated to creating the best environment for bears to thrive and remain wild in an ever-growing, ever-changing environment like the Lake Tahoe Basin. We are a collective of bear experts across agencies that study and understand these animals and have devoted much of our professional lives to ensure the health and well-being of black bear populations for years to come. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) should be the first point of contact for any bear-related incidents or questions. CDFW and NDOW have dedicated black bear experts who can help navigate any human-bear conflicts.
We encourage the public to visit the TahoeBears.org website for accurate information about bears and to report bear sightings or incidents. Another helpful website is BearWise.org.
To report bear incidents or conflict in the Lake Tahoe Basin, use the following:
In California, contact the CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) System.
Non-emergency bear collisions in California State Parks can be reported to public dispatch at 916-358-1300.
In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
If the issue is an emergency, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
Thank you for helping to keep Tahoe bears wild and safe!
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Video Links:
Secure Your Crawl Space From Bears!
Happy Holidays from the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team
We hope this winter season brings you all lots of cheer, warm memories, and time for rest and relaxation. However, it is not a time to let your guard down when it comes to living in or recreating responsibly in bear country. It’s important to keep in mind not all bears in the Lake Tahoe Basin will hibernate.
Hibernation, or torpor as it’s more accurately referred to in bears, is tightly related to resource availability. As natural food supplies continue to dwindle and snow gradually blankets the basin, bears should naturally go into hibernation to save energy and resources. However, bears that continue to find and access unnatural food sources like garbage, bird feeders, pet food, and other human attractants may bypass it altogether and stay active through the winter. This can create a reliance on human food that can be harmful for bears.
Living, visiting, and recreating in bear country is a privilege that comes with year-round responsibilities. Here are just a few ways to help keep Tahoe bears wild into the winter months:
· Use bear-resistant garbage cans year-round.
· Remove bird feeders and pet food from outside.
· Block access to your crawlspace to prevent bears from using it as a winter den. See this video for information on how to secure your crawlspace: youtu.be/pvI2ZglHLfw?si=Lq2DG3aTWVpFPrPt.
Learn more about keeping Tahoe bears wild at TahoeBears.org and BearWise.org. To report bear incidents or conflict in the Lake Tahoe Basin, use the following:
· In California, contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/.
· Non-emergency bear collisions in California State Parks can be reported to its public dispatch at 916-358-1300
· In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327)
· If the issue is an emergency, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
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Forest Service Issues New Food and Refuse Storage Order
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., Nov. 30, 2023 – To help keep Tahoe bears wild, the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has issued a new Forest Order that requires the proper storage of food and refuse (garbage) on all National Forest System lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The Forest Order takes effect on Jan. 1, 2024, and requires all food and garbage that is not personally attended to be stored in a container designed to prevent access by bears and other wildlife. The Forest Order also requires the use of bear canisters (hard-sided bear-proof containers) for overnight visitors to the Desolation Wilderness and wildlife-resistant dumpsters and food lockers (bear boxes) provided at National Forest campgrounds.
Bears are attracted to anything edible or scented and the improper storage and disposal of human food and garbage is a leading cause of human-bear conflicts in the Tahoe Basin. Bears that become accustomed to human food and garbage lose their natural fear of humans, which can lead to the injury of a person or euthanasia of the bear. Feeding bears and other wildlife is illegal and violations can result in citations from law enforcement officers.
“The new storage order allows hikers and day-use visitors to possess food or garbage provided they are within 100 feet of the items,” said Wildlife Biologist, Shay Zanetti. “Requiring proper food and garbage storage will help reduce the number of human-bear conflicts by preventing bears and other wildlife from accessing these items.”
View the Food and Refuse Storage Order on the LTBMU Forest Order webpage. Visit the following websites for helpful information and tips for keeping Tahoe bears wild: TahoeBears.org and BearWise.org.
October 2023: Fall colors and cooler temperatures in Tahoe mean black bear behavior is also changing
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., Oct. 25, 2023 - In the Tahoe Basin, the changing leaves and cooler temperatures can only mean one thing – fall is here. With the transition of the seasons, bears are changing their behavior as well.
In the fall, black bears enter a temporary physiological state known as “hyperphagia.” During hyperphagia, known colloquially as the fall feeding frenzy, bears consume as much as they can to bring their fat stores to a level where they can survive the quickly approaching winter months. In the fall, an adult bear can consume 20,000 to 24,000 calories a day and can gain multiple pounds per day.
To achieve this rapid growth in fat stores, wild bears can be seen foraging most of the day and night and may travel beyond their normal home range in search of food. The increased drive for food can lead bears to seek easy, calorie-dense meals in residential areas if food, garbage, and recycling are not properly stored. To keep our Tahoe bears wild while they bulk up for the winter, the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team wants to remind residents to stick to BearWise principles by using bear-resistant garbage carts/boxes, removing bird feeders, storing pet food inside, and cleaning grills regularly. Learn more at the video linked below.
Black Bears in Autumn - YouTube
After the fall feeding frenzy, food supplies begin to dwindle, signaling to the bears it is time to find a den for hibernation. In the wild, bears will den beneath rock piles or hollowed trees. However, in the Tahoe Basin, many bears try to make a den under a deck or a crawl space. These insulated and wind-protected urban dens are enticing to bears seeking shelter but come at a big cost to homeowners. Bears wintering under homes often tear down insulation or electrical wires as part of their effort to build a warm nest. They also leave an opening to the den, exposing pipes to freezing temperatures that may burst and cause homeowners significant damage.
“Some insurance companies will pay for damage in a crawl space, but many won’t, so a lot of the burden can fall on the homeowner,” explains Rebecca Carniello, the Urban Wildlife Biologist at the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). To avoid these headaches in the winter season, Carniello recommends securing your crawl space now.
“Fall is the time to secure your crawl space,” she said. “You never think it is going to happen to you and securing your crawl space protects you from unwanted costly damage and encourages bears to seek a more wild den.” NDOW outlines a step-by-step guide on securing your crawl space in the video below.
Secure Your Crawl Space From Bears! - YouTube
For more tips and information about what you can do to keep Tahoe bears wild, visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Keep Me Wild/Sharing Space Outdoors webpage, TahoeBears.org/ or BearWise.org.
Use the following phone numbers and online resources to report a bear incident or conflict while camping or visiting the Tahoe Basin:
In California, contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) at 916-358-2917 or report online using CDFW’s Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/
Non-emergency bear collisions in California State Parks can be reported to its public dispatch at 916-358-1300
In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327)
If the issue is an emergency, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
August 2023: Bear experts offer tips, best practices for late-season camping trips to the Tahoe Basin
Headed to the Tahoe Basin for one last summer camping trip? Black bear biologists who work in the Tahoe Basin every day have some advice and thoughts to share.
When you choose to visit the Lake Tahoe Basin, you are headed to the heart of bear country when the Tahoe Basin’s black bears will be especially active and persistent in their search for food to prepare for leaner times ahead in the fall and winter. Sometimes, the easiest food for them to find is human food and garbage.
“Anyone coming to the Tahoe area needs to educate themselves on bear behavior and general bear ecology. There are a lot of bears here and those bears have an incredibly strong sense of smell and a strong desire for food that intensifies at different times of the year, particularly in the fall with the onset of hyperphagia,” said Alexia Ronning, an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and one of three bear biologists hired recently by CDFW and assigned full-time to the Tahoe Basin to help prevent and mitigate human-bear conflicts.
Hyperphagia is the biological instinct for bears to fatten up for the winter, which drives them to consistently feed and search for food.
“Read and follow all the camp rules about bears when you arrive and take them seriously,” Ronning said. “If you do have an incident – whether it’s a bear getting into your car or getting into food at your campground – report it to your camp host or the proper government agency.”
Ronning encourages Tahoe Basin campers and visitors to pack a few specialty items to keep them safe while enjoying the outdoors and to help keep the Tahoe Basin’s bears from getting too close and comfortable around people, which is often the source of escalating human-bear conflicts. Conflicts are most likely to occur in settings where human food and garbage are present, such as campgrounds.
“You can carry bear spray. That makes a lot of people feel safer. You need to remember to spray it downwind. Be sure to educate yourself on how to use it before heading out camping,” Ronning explained. “Bring an air horn and a whistle or you can bang pots and pans. Those noises will help scare a bear to a safer distance and the noise will also warn fellow campers and hikers that a bear is nearby.”
Alyson Cheney is another environmental scientist hired by CDFW in the spring as a full-time bear biologist and human-wildlife conflict specialist in the Tahoe Basin.
Proper food storage is a consistent problem Cheney has seen from campers all summer in the Tahoe Basin.
“People assume their ice chests are bear-proof, but in most cases, they are not,” she said. “If they can’t be locked or latched securely with no way to pry a gap between the lid and the cooler, they need to go into a bear box. You need to have all the equipment to store your food properly whether that’s a bear-proof canister for the backcountry or a bear-resistant ice chest for the campsite.
“Once a bear gets a food reward it is more likely to come back,” Cheney continued, “so taking those preventative measures is the best way to keep you, your family and your fellow campers safe.”
Kyle Garrett is the third member of CDFW’s newly assembled Tahoe Basin bear team. Another environmental scientist, Garrett worked with black bears and grizzly bears in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming before joining CDFW this past spring to help with the Tahoe Basin’s human-bear conflicts.
Garrett said ice chests and coolers offer campers a false sense of security that their food is properly stored. He has seen bears carry off $300 and $400 coolers they couldn’t immediately get into.
“In the Tahoe Basin, you can encounter a bear in a campground, in the backcountry and even a neighborhood. So, all of the best bear practices need to be followed all of the time whenever you are here,” he said.
One common problem Garrett sees in the Tahoe Basin is conscientious campers using bear boxes for food storage and bear-proof dumpsters for garbage but not closing them securely. Therefore, he reminds everyone that “they have to be latched properly to be functional.”
Visitors to the Lake Tahoe Basin can play a key role in helping keep bears wild by practicing these strategies and being extra vigilant as bears approach the hyperphagia period.
For more tips and information about bear-safe camping, please see the following video from California State Parks and visit CDFW’s Keep Me Wild/Sharing Space Outdoors webpage.
Use the following phone numbers and online resources to report a bear incident or conflict while camping or visiting the Tahoe Basin:
In California, contact CDFW at (916) 358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/
Non-emergency bear collisions in California State Parks can be reported to its public dispatch at (916) 358-1300
In Nevada, contact NDOW at (775) 688-BEAR (2327)
If the issue is an emergency, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
Learn more about keeping Tahoe bears wild at TahoeBears.org and BearWise.org.
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Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dICg4q3TU8o.
July 2023: When bears and vehicles collide
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., June 30, 2023 – Drivers Beware! Throughout the year the Lake Tahoe Basin experiences fluctuations in the number of visitors and vehicle traffic. The winter ski and summer recreation seasons bring more vehicles to the Tahoe Basin, which increases the risk of bears being struck by vehicles. Bear-vehicle collisions pose a risk to bears, people and property.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic when fewer cars were on the road, the California Highway Patrol reported 1,791 traffic collisions with animals in California, and the UC Davis Road Ecology Center estimated the total cost of animal-vehicle conflicts to be more than $180 million. Not all collisions are reported and not all highway or road mortalities are accounted for, even when carcasses are picked up by the California Department of Transportation or local county crews. This data illustrates a major threat to wildlife and driver safety.
In the Tahoe Basin, it is common to see small mammals such as squirrels, chipmunks, and occasionally raccoons dead on the roadside, but vehicle collisions with bears are increasing. Bears attracted to trash in urban areas is one reason for this increase. The result is often catastrophic injuries to the bear, dependent cubs becoming orphaned, and, on occasion, injuries to drivers. All are sad scenarios that everyone should want to avoid.
Tahoe’s black bears are not active only at night when most human activity can be avoided. Instead, they are attracted to human food and trash in and around homes and businesses around the clock. The search for food, both natural and human-provided, means bears are constantly on the move and frequently darting across busy highways and other roads around Lake Tahoe. This puts bears at greater risk of being struck by a driver who may not be expecting to encounter a bear on the road. Drivers should take steps to avoid these dangerous situations.
What can you do?
Drivers and passengers should be aware that bears move at all times of the day and night, frequently crossing roads in the Tahoe Basin as they search for food.
Be aware that there is often more than one bear. Adult, female bears (sows) are often trailed by their cubs of the year or can be following behind them as the cubs become more independent. Keep this in mind and if you see a bear on the roadway, slow down and scan for other bears or hazards.
NEVER stop your vehicle on the road or highway to view wildlife. This creates unsafe traffic congestion and stresses wildlife.
Do not swerve to avoid wildlife. Swerving to avoid animals can often result in a vehicle going off the road or into oncoming traffic, or trees.
Follow speed limits, watch for signs posted in known wildlife collision areas, and most importantly SLOW DOWN.
Always drive defensively and always keep your eyes on the road. Sharing the road with pedestrians, bicyclists, and wildlife comes with great responsibility.
For more information about keeping people and wildlife safe, please view the following video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVi9LXRoFJc.
Remember, properly storing human food and trash reduces the risk of bears and wildlife crossing roads to access those attractants.
Use the following phone numbers and online resources to report a vehicle collision with a bear or report a dead or injured bear along the roadway.
In California, contact CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
Non-emergency bear collisions in California State Parks can be reported to its public dispatch at 916-358-1300.
In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
If the issue is an emergency, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
May 2023: Spring is an active time for Tahoe bear cubs and yearlings
Keep Tahoe bears wild!
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., May 23, 2023 – As temperatures start to warm and snow begins to melt, a new crop of bear cubs are emerging from winter dens with their mothers. Yearlings, which were born last year, are also on the move. Some are still with their mother bears, some are solo after separating before denning, and some may be showing signs of disease.
Cubs of the year, born around the beginning of February, are sticking close to their mothers, and learning survival skills in the wild to prepare them for living on their own in about one year. For those cubs born a little over a year ago, now called yearlings, it is time for them to part ways with their mother bears and sibling bears. Mother bears, once free of these “teenagers,” will once again find a mate and breed to continue the cycle of producing cubs every other year.
Cubs of the year are dependent on their mothers and are being taught how to forage on natural vegetation, including grass, berries, grubs, and other wild bear foods. Mother bears may be protective of the cubs, so people need to give them space. Never get in between a mother bear and her cubs. If you see a cub of the year alone, or up a tree for safety, the mother bear may not want to leave the area, so back away and give them room to reunite.
This time of year, wildlife agencies receive many calls from people concerned that they have found an orphaned cub when they are actually seeing a yearling that is safely on its own. A good rule of thumb for knowing the difference is to look at the size of the bear. If the bear is the size of a cat (around 10-15 pounds), it is a new cub of the year and chances are the cub’s mother bear is somewhere nearby or she may have sent her cubs up a tree while she goes to forage. Keep an eye on the cub and if you do not see the mother bear after a few hours, please call the appropriate state wildlife agency below so they can send a wildlife professional out to assess the situation. Yearlings on the other hand, normally weigh between 50-150 pounds and are well equipped to make it on their own and do not need handouts or human intervention.
Something that seems to be reported to wildlife managers more each year are undersized cubs and yearlings, often orphaned and malnourished, and sometimes behaving oddly for a wild animal. These young bears tend to be alone, small for their age, are often skinny with no fear of people, reluctant or unable to flee, and exhibit habituated behaviors often described as “dog-like.”
“These could just be hungry orphans looking for food, but increasingly we are seeing signs of neurologic disease like a slight head tilt or tremors,” said Dr. Brandon Munk, senior wildlife veterinarian with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
Since 2014, CDFW and the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) have been investigating cases of encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, in young bears in the Tahoe Basin and throughout their range in California and Nevada. CDFW and NDOW have partnered with researchers at UC Davis and Oregon State University to determine the causes of encephalitis in California and Nevada black bears. Researchers have discovered both viruses and parasites associated with the condition but have not yet confirmed the primary cause(s) of this disease.
“We think the condition is more significant as a risk for increased human-bear conflict than a risk to bear populations or to people,” said Dr. Munk.
On occasion, a cub has truly been orphaned, which could result from a vehicle strike, or other causes of death of the sow. You may also see a small bear that may be showing signs of encephalitis. In either case the proper state authorities, CDFW or the NDOW, should be called to evaluate the situation and safely transport the cub for evaluation and/or rehabilitation. Resist the temptation to offer food handouts to these bears to preserve their chances of remaining wild and eventually being released back into the wild.
Picking up a cub too soon or while its mother bear is just around the corner can do a lot more harm than good. If the bear is a yearling, it is perfectly normal for it to be on its own. If you’re not sure, don’t hesitate to call a wildlife professional at CDFW, California State Parks or NDOW to ask. Check out this video on the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team YouTube channel to learn the differences between cubs and yearlings.
Don’t teach these young bears to be comfortable around people! If they have gotten too close, make noise and try to scare them away so they don’t feel comfortable and want to stay. While it’s fun to see bears and even take pictures and videos, you’re telling the bear that it’s alright to be close to you.
Bears are smart and acquire learned behaviors based on their experiences. If they have a negative, scary encounter with a human, chances are they will try to avoid them in the future. Allowing bears to become comfortable around people can lead to unwanted activity, including breaking into cars and houses or approaching people who are eating outdoors. It is illegal to feed bears both directly and indirectly by allowing them access to garbage or food.
To report human-bear conflicts, bears that show signs of disease or orphaned cubs of the year:
In California, contact CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to its public dispatch at (916) 358-1300.
In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
Learn more about keeping Tahoe bears wild at TahoeBears.org and BearWise.org.
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Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-XfIWHkBBQ&t=6s
March 2023: Spring weather is coming, and with it some very hungry bears
The snow will be melting soon in the Lake Tahoe region and a heavy winter will give way to a busy spring for wildlife in the area. Bears that have been in winter dens will be emerging soon and they will be hungry!
In the fall, black bears went through hyperphagia (pronounced hi·per·fay·jee·uh), which is an increase in feeding activity (consuming about 25,000 calories a day) driven by their need to fatten up before winter. Over the course of the winter, bear’s bodies utilize those fat stores during hibernation when food is scarce. Come spring, their body mass will have naturally decreased and as a result, bears will be on the lookout for easy food sources to help rebuild those fat reserves.
Heavy Snow Brings Challenges for Bears
Bears in the Tahoe Basin will be in a difficult position this year as they come out of their dens and are met with historic snow loads across their habitat. The grasses and other sprouts that would usually be greening up with the melting of snow won’t be available until much later in the spring. Bears will instinctively move to lower elevations to find those fresh greens, but the snow will make them search for easier routes like roads and trails. This is going to bring bears down into urban areas as they move through the mountains.
As bears make their way through the area, please be vigilant about cleaning up bear attractants. We know a lot of people felt it important to feed the birds this winter, but please do not let your bird feeders feed the bears. Now is the time to take them down completely. Bears can and will be active day and night, so we recommend taking feeders down and keeping them down. We also know proper disposal of garbage can be difficult with snow piling up on the roads, but please take a few minutes to dig out your bear boxes so garbage can easily be secured inside. Clean out your vehicles, especially if you have food stored in your vehicle for winter travel safety. In addition, remember to keep doors and windows locked on buildings so bears cannot break into structures.
Your Actions Can Impact an Entire Ecosystem
Bears play an important role in Lake Tahoe’s ecosystem and allowing them access to human food and garbage is detrimental to natural processes in the region. Bears help spread berry seeds through their scat, transport pollen, clean up animals that died during the winter, eat insects, and provide other essential functions of nature.
As a result, if they find and access human food and garbage, bird seed, pet food, coolers, and other sources of human food, the Tahoe Basin loses the benefits bears offer to these natural processes. Bears need to be wild animals rather than garbage disposals, especially since unnatural food sources can impact their overall health by damaging and/or rotting their teeth.
In fact, bears will unknowingly eat undigestible items from human trash like foil, paper products, plastics, and metal that can damage their internal systems and even lead to death. If these items do make it through their digestive system, they leave it behind in their scat rather than the native seeds and healthy fertilizer needed to grow the next generation of plant life.
Call the Experts
Spring is also the time of year that residents or visitors may see a bear they feel looks unhealthy, sick, or orphaned. If anyone has concerns about a bear’s health, never hesitate to call official wildlife experts. If the bear needs help, state agency wildlife experts have the training and expertise to assess the bear’s condition and transport it to a wildlife veterinarian. Healthy bears mean healthy ecosystems, and we can all do our part to set both up for success!
For great tips about living responsibly with bears, visit tahoebears.org and bearwise.org.
The bottom line is that Lake Tahoe is bear country. It’s up to each one of us, including those living in, visiting, or recreating in the Tahoe Basin to practice good stewardship habits by always securing food, trash, and other scented items. Good habits will help ensure we keep Tahoe bears wild.
To report human-bear conflicts:
In California, contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to their public dispatch at 916-358-1300.
In Nevada, contact the Nevada Department of Wildlife at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
January 2023: CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA GET BEARWISE
New program makes it easier to live responsibly with bears
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., Jan. 30, 2023 – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) are proud to support BearWise, the innovative North American program that helps people live more responsibly with bears. The BearWise website, www.bearwise.org, offers a wealth of scientifically sound information and practical advice. The state wildlife agencies will work closely with the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, California State Parks, and Nevada State Parks to incorporate the BearWise messaging as part of their united effort through the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team. This will ensure that residents and visitors across the Lake Tahoe Basin will receive the same messaging regarding bears and how to manage human-bear conflict across state lines.
“In the Tahoe Basin, growing numbers of both bears and humans are leading to an increase in human-bear encounters and conflicts,” said NDOW Biologist, Carl Lackey. “Bears pay no attention to boundaries and have no idea when they cross from public to private lands or from one state to another; that’s why a North American program with consistent messaging that can be used by anyone who lives, works, recreates and travels wherever bears also live makes so much sense.”
BearWise Information and Resources
Bearwise.org offers a wealth of information on black bear biology and behavior as well as sections on preventing human-bear conflicts at home and outdoors, including vacationing in bear country, bear safety information, guidelines for raising livestock, bees and crops, tips for dog owners and bird lovers, helpful FAQs, and information about how neighborhoods, communities and businesses can put BearWise to work.
BearWise Resource Center
In addition, "The Six Bear Wise Basics” for both “At Home” and “Outdoors,” the BearWise online store offers a variety of handouts and activity sheets people can download for free in addition to items like magnets, door hangers, stickers, and signs that can be ordered individually or in bulk.
BearWise Article Bank
The BearWise Article Bank features dozens of articles that focus on bears, bear behavior, and what people can do to prevent conflicts with bears. Articles can be reprinted in newsletters or community newspapers and shared on social media. Anyone can sign up to receive timely news and helpful information.
About the BearWise Program
BearWise was developed by state agency bear biologists who wanted to make sure that no matter where people lived, played, or traveled, they got the same consistent message about coexisting with bears. Today, the BearWise program is managed by a team of North American bear biologists and communications professionals and supported by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the BearWise member state wildlife agencies.
For more information and to sign up for email alerts, visit www.bearwise.org.
For more information on Lake Tahoe bears, visit: www.tahoebears.org
To report human-bear conflicts:
In California, contact CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to its public dispatch at (916) 358-1300.
In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
October 2022: Lake Tahoe bears seeking food for winter
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., Oct. 27, 2022 - Fall is underway in the Tahoe Basin and Lake Tahoe bears are hungry! Autumn is the time of year when bears enter hyperphagia, a phase they go through when they seek massive amounts of calories before entering their winter dens. It’s important that residents and visitors are aware of this heightened bear activity and that they take steps to prevent bears from accessing human food and garbage.
Members of the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team recently attended the 6th International Human-Bear Conflicts Workshop in South Lake Tahoe to discuss and learn about all aspects of human-bear interaction and how we can best share the landscape.
“Hyperphagia is in full swing,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife Biologist, Sara Holm. “Many bears were seen by workshop attendees scavenging food from unsecured trash containers. It’s disappointing how easy people are still making it for these bears to access the wrong kind of calories.”
Bears Prepare for Hibernation
During fall, bears are very active as they hunt for fish, seeds, berries, grubs, and other high-protein natural foods. Human food should not fall into this category. Learn more by watching and sharing the following YouTube video: https://youtu.be/SeL1U67XNdY.
Wild black bears normally eat around 5,000 calories a day during the year, but in the fall, they need an average of 20,000 calories a day to store as fat over the winter. Bears in the Tahoe Basin tend to consume more than they need by eating unhealthy human foods as well as staying more active over the winter months to try and take advantage of human food sources.
Hibernation, or torpor as it’s more accurately referred to for bears, occurs in late fall or early winter as the weather cools and natural food becomes less available. This slows down a bear’s metabolism and allows them to reduce activity in their dens and live off their fat stores.
Habituated bears, males in particular, will often leave the den during this time to seek out easily obtainable food. Females, which will give birth at the beginning of the year, are more likely to stay in their dens. This could explain why Lake Tahoe residents still see some bear activity in the winter.
No Handouts!
During hyperphagia, bears can be very focused and persistent about getting food. They often spend most of the day trying to eat which makes them more vulnerable to vehicle strikes and interaction with people. Do not try to defend a food source from a hungry bear. Do make sure to keep using and locking dumpsters and bear-resistant trash containers. Pack out trash that doesn’t fit into full containers whether you're at a rental, the beach, or a trailhead. Never provide food for bears. It’s illegal, unhealthy, and can lead to human-bear conflicts such as home/vehicle break-ins or physical contact. Let bears find food in the wild and give them space.
Bear Managers at Work
Bear managers and law enforcement officers may be out hazing bears. If you see these officials yelling at bears, using air horns, or chasing them, it’s to try and get these bears out of populated areas or to give them a negative experience with humans instead of a food reward.
Officers may fire non-lethal bean bag rounds when it is determined safe to do so. This may temporarily deter bears or force them to leave the area and while it may sting, it’s not meant to cause injury. Bears often climb trees to escape danger. This is the time to back off, get somewhere safe and let them come down on their own. Hazing bears that are up in trees won’t work and sends a mixed message to the bear. Officials do their best to keep people and bears safe.
Living and recreating in the Tahoe Basin’s bear country is a year-round responsibility. Please do your part to help us keep Tahoe bears wild! Here are some helpful tips to follow:
Never feed wildlife. Feeding wildlife often brings animals in conflict with people and attracts wildlife to human homes and neighborhoods where they can get struck by vehicles and encounter other human hazards.
Store all garbage in and properly close bear-resistant garbage containers, preferably bear boxes. Inquire with local refuse companies about new bear box incentives and payment programs. In California, visit the South Tahoe Refuse Bear Information website. In Nevada, residents should check the Nevada Department of Wildlife’s website: Living with Bears.
Never leave groceries, animal feed, garbage, or anything scented in vehicles, campsites, or tents.
Be sure to always lock vehicles and close the windows. Understand that eating – even drinking coffee – in your car often leaves lingering odors that attract bears.
Keep barbecue grills clean and stored in a garage or shed when not in use.
Keep doors and windows closed and locked when the home is unoccupied.
Vegetable gardens, compost piles, fruit trees, and chickens may attract bears. Use electric fences where allowed to keep bears out. Refrain from hanging bird feeders.
When camping, always store food (including pet food), drinks, toiletries, coolers, cleaned grills, cleaned dishes, cleaning products, and all other scented items in the bear-resistant containers (storage lockers/bear boxes) provided at campsites. Bear-resistant coolers that come equipped with padlock devices should always be locked to meet bear-resistant requirements.
Always place garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters in campgrounds or in bear-resistant containers at campsites (storage lockers/bear boxes) and close and lock after each use.
Store food in bear-resistant, hard-sided food storage canisters while recreating in the backcountry.
Give wildlife space. Enjoy wildlife from a distance, especially when they have young with them.
Leave small bears alone, mom might be right around the corner.
Secure crawl spaces and winterize your home, including removal of all food when unoccupied.
To report human-bear conflicts in California, contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) at 916-358-2917 or report online using CDFW’s Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir. Non-emergency wildlife interactions within California State Parks can be reported to public dispatch at 916-358-1300. To report human-bear conflicts in Nevada, contact the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) at 775-688-BEAR (2327). If the issue is a direct threat or emergency call 911 to seek immediate help from local law enforcement.
June 2022: Early summer is an active time for bear cubs and yearlings
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., June 21, 2022 – Summer is here at Lake Tahoe and that means more visitors recreating in bear habitat, which increases the chance of encountering a bear – or a family of bears. Increased visitation also brings more temptations for bears to discover human food and garbage sources.
For Tahoe bears, summer is a time for new beginnings as mother bears (sows) are often accompanied by very small cubs that were born in January or February and are now experiencing life outside the den for the first time. These “cubs of the year” are sticking close to their mothers and learning important survival skills in the wild and will likely separate from the sow in one year.
Summer is also a time for parting ways as other sows have yearlings with them that were born in winter dens over a year ago and are about to be cut loose by the sow so she can search for a mate during the summer breeding cycle. These yearlings of variable sizes are well equipped to make it on their own and do not need handouts or human intervention.
Cubs of the year are dependent on their mothers and are taught by their mothers how to forage on natural vegetation, including grass, berries, grubs, and other natural wild bear foods. Sows are protective of their cubs and people need to give them space. Never get in between a sow and her cubs. If you see a cub of the year alone, or up a tree for safety, the sow may not want to leave the area so back away and give them room to reunite.
This time of year, wildlife agencies receive many calls from people concerned that they have found an orphaned cub when they are seeing a yearling that is safely on its own. A good rule of thumb in knowing the difference is to look at the size of the bear. If the bear is the size of a cat (around 10-15 pounds) it is a cub of the year and chances are the cub’s mother is somewhere nearby or may have put the cub up a tree while she goes to forage. Keep an eye on the cub from a very safe distance, and if you do not see the sow after a couple of hours, call the appropriate state wildlife agency below and they will send a wildlife expert out to assess the situation.
On occasion, there are situations in which a cub truly has been orphaned, which could result from the sow being hit by a vehicle or another cause of death. In these cases, the proper state authorities, the California Department of Wildlife (CDFW) or the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), should be called to evaluate the situation and safely transport the cub for evaluation and rehabilitation.
Picking up a cub too soon or while the sow is just around the corner can do a lot more harm than good. Don’t teach these young bears to be comfortable around people! If they are too close, make noise and try to scare them away so they don’t feel comfortable and want to stay.
While it’s fun to see bears and even take pictures and videos, you’re telling the bear that it’s alright to be close to you. Bears are smart and acquire learned behaviors based on their experiences. If they have a negative, scary encounter with a human, chances are they will try to avoid them in the future. Allowing bears to become comfortable around people can lead to unwanted activity, including breaking into cars and houses or approaching people who are eating outdoors. It is illegal to feed bears both directly and indirectly by allowing them access to garbage or food.
Throughout the busy summer season, visitation steadily increases, and humans must be vigilant with food and trash storage whether at home, the beach, campgrounds, picnic areas or trailheads. Enjoy wildlife from a distance, and don’t attempt to handle young bears. With your help we can Keep Tahoe Bears Wild!
To report human-bear conflicts: In California, contact the CDFW at 916-358-2917, or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir. Non- emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to public dispatch at 916-358-1300. In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327). For general questions, contact the following agency Public Information Officers: Peter Tira, CDFW; Ashley Sanchez, NDOW; or Lisa Herron, USDA Forest Service. If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
May 2022: Spring is here, and with it some very hungry bears
The snow is melting in the Lake Tahoe region and a mild winter has given way to a bustling, early spring for wildlife in the area. Bears have emerged from their dens, are on the move and hungry!
In the fall, black bears experienced hyperphagia (pronounced hai·pr·fei·jee·uh), which is an increase in feeding activity (consuming about 25,000 calories a day) driven by their need to fatten up before winter. Over the course of the winter, bear’s bodies utilize those fat stores during hibernation when food is scarce. Come spring, their body mass will have naturally decreased and as a result, bears will be on the lookout for easy food sources to help rebuild those fat reserves.
In the spring, bears come down in elevation to seek out fresh grasses that are starting to sprout, which often brings them into human occupied areas with green lawns. Unfortunately, these urban areas have an abundance of human attractants for bears to easily access. It is up to visitors and residents to keep bears from finding unnatural, human food sources.
Bears play an important part in Lake Tahoe’s ecosystem and allowing them access to human food and garbage is detrimental to natural processes in the region. Bears help spread berry seeds through their scat, transport pollen, clean up animals that died during the winter, eat insects, and provide other essential functions of nature.
As a result, if they find and access human food and garbage, bird seed, pet food, coolers, and other sources of human food, the Tahoe Basin loses the benefits bears offer to these natural processes. Bears need to be wild animals rather than garbage disposals, especially since these unnatural food sources can impact their overall health and damage and/or rot their teeth.
In fact, bears will unknowingly eat indigestible items from human trash like foil, paper products, plastics and metal that can damage their internal systems and even lead to death. If these items do make it through their digestive system, they leave it behind in their scat rather than the native seeds and healthy fertilizer needed to grow the next generation of plant life.
Spring is also the time of year that residents or visitors may see a bear they feel looks unhealthy, sick, or orphaned. If anyone has concerns about a bear’s state of health, never hesitate to call wildlife experts. If the bear needs help, state agency wildlife experts have the training and expertise to assess the bear’s condition and transport it to a wildlife veterinarian. Healthy bears mean healthy ecosystems, and we can all do our part to set both up for success!
Follow these important tips to help keep Tahoe’s bears wild:
Never feed wildlife.
Store all garbage in and properly close bear-resistant garbage containers, preferably bear boxes. Inquire with local refuse companies about bear box incentives and payment programs. Visit southtahoerefuse.com/bear-info/ and/or www.ndow.org/Nevada_Wildlife/Bear_Logic/ for more information.
Never leave leftovers, groceries, animal feed, garbage or anything scented in vehicles, campsites, or tents.
Always lock vehicles and close the windows. Keep in mind eating in the car leaves lingering food odors that attract bears.
Keep barbecue grills clean and stored in a garage or shed when not in use.
Keep doors and windows closed and locked when the home is unoccupied.
Vegetable gardens, compost piles, orchards and chickens may attract bears. Use electric fences where allowed to keep bears out. Refrain from hanging bird feeders.
When camping, always store food (including pet food), drinks, toiletries, coolers, cleaned grills, cleaned dishes, cleaning products, and all other scented items in bear-resistant containers (storage lockers/bear boxes) provided at campsites. Bear-resistant coolers that come equipped with padlock devices should always be locked to meet bear-resistant requirements.
Always place garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters in campgrounds or in bear-resistant containers at campsites (storage lockers/bear boxes), and close and lock after each use.
Store food in bear-resistant food storage canisters while recreating in the backcountry.
Give wildlife space, especially when they have young with them.
Leave small bears alone, mom might be right around the corner.
“The bottom line is that Lake Tahoe is bear country. It is up to each one of us, including those living in, visiting, or recreating in the Tahoe Basin to practice good stewardship habits by always securing food, trash and other scented items,” said USDA Forest Service Public Affairs Specialist, Lisa Herron. “Good habits will help ensure we keep Tahoe bears wild.”
To report human-bear conflicts in California, contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir. Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to public dispatch at 916-358-1300. To report human-bear conflicts in Nevada, contact Nevada Department of Wildlife at 775-688-BEAR (2327). If the issue is an immediate threat or emergency, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
March 2022: Prepare for bear activity in aftermath of the Caldor Fire
The Lake Tahoe Interagency Bear Team, a partnership between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Parks, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and the USDA Forest Service, is asking all community members to expect increased bear activity following the Caldor Fire as bears prepare to emerge from their winter dens.
Generally, fire can be a revitalizing event for a forest, with downed logs providing great forage spots for hungry bears looking for insects such as termites and grubs. Wild animals are typically resilient and able to adapt to fire and other environmental changes: It’s part of their nature. However, during last year’s Caldor Fire, some bears and other wildlife were forced to flee from the flames. While some bears were hit by vehicles on highways, others may have traveled to the Tahoe Basin for refuge, while many sheltered in large pockets of unburned forest or were temporarily displaced.
During the evacuation last fall, when streets and homes were empty and no one was around to secure houses, vehicles, dumpsters, or other attractants, habituated bears in the Tahoe Basin – meaning those bears already comfortable around people or those bears that look to people, their homes, and cars for food – were left to roam neighborhoods freely with little resistance. These habituated bears suddenly had no humans yelling, making noise, chasing or hazing them, and no electric deterrents because of power outages.
In the Tahoe Keys community, bears broke into garage doors, windows, and vehicles, causing some homeowners thousands of dollars in property damage. The lack of consequences during the evacuation period will have rippling and lasting effects on bear behavior for seasons to come. Because bears are so intelligent, once they learn something, it’s difficult to break their bad habits. For this reason, it’s extremely important to be proactive in preventing bad habits from forming in the first place.
Due to the amount of damage bears caused to homes, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife last year conducted a Trap/Tag/Haze operation in South Lake Tahoe to provide relief to hard-hit areas, which allowed residents to begin repairs, replace doors, refrigerators, and other damaged items in order to move back into their homes. Bears were marked and moved to nearby, unburned habitat in an attempt to interrupt the cycle of break-ins and food rewards that went unchecked during evacuations.
Once moved, these bears were hazed upon release with airhorns, paintball guns, and non-lethal rounds, to give the bears a negative human interaction that will hopefully prevent them from returning to the area. Not all these problem bears were caught and hazed, as evidenced by the continued presence of several bears that continued to break into homes in the Tahoe Keys area throughout the fall and winter months.
While what happened during the Caldor Fire evacuation couldn’t be prevented, homeowners, residents and visitors can do their part to prevent or deter this kind of bear behavior in the future, especially as this mild winter turns to spring and bears begin to emerge from their dens in search of food. Below are steps everyone can take to help Tahoe bears live a wild but fruitful and healthy life.
Businesses should require employees to keep dumpsters locked at all times!
Use bear-resistant trash containers!
Do not allow unsecured attractants such as bird feeders!
Remember that feeding bears (or any wild animal) is against the law!
For more information on peacefully coexisting with bears, visit TahoeBears.org. To report human-bear conflicts:
In California, contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to its public dispatch at (916) 358-1300.
In Nevada, contact the Nevada Department of Wildlife at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
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CLICK IMAGE OR LINK BELOW TO WATCH VIDEO
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndl-Mb2gPdY&feature=youtu.be
December 2021: Secure that Crawl Space
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. Winter is coming and as bears search for dens for the cold months ahead, they may decide that your house in the Lake Tahoe Basin is just the right place.
Black bears typically enter dens between mid-November and December. Wild bears usually look for natural dens in rock crevices, under fallen logs or hollow trees, or dig into the root mass of trees. However, in the Tahoe Basin many homes and properties can become a replacement for natural dens, especially:
Outbuildings
Porches, decks and crawl spaces
Vacation homes
Campers and RVs
Bears will often look for easy entry routes, like vents and doors, that they can rip open to gain access. They can fit in very small openings. Generally, if a bear can get its head inside, the rest of the bear can follow.
Once underneath a house they will often pull down insulation for bedding or scoop up available debris, like pine needles, to create their winter beds. This activity often causes damage to wiring for cable or electricity, piping that supplies heat to the home, and even water or gas lines. This type of damage can be costly to repair, can leave you without heat for the winter, and can cause flooding or fires. Many repair companies will not provide their services if they know a bear is under a house or if they are unable to access the damaged area safely. Occasionally bears will rip open access to the inside of a home and try to spend the winter indoors.
Allowing a bear to access space in your home is detrimental. This type of habituation can lead to conflicts, not just for your properties, but also for your neighbors’ properties. It is also imperative that female bears do not teach their offspring to seek this type of denning. Additionally, bears run the risk of injuring themselves in their attempts to gain entrance.
Outbuildings
Check garages, storage sheds and outbuildings and remove any items that could potentially be an attractant (birdseed, garbage, pet foods, sweet smelling cleaners).
Secure All Crawl Spaces
Securing your crawl space is one way to help prevent the likelihood of an unwanted guest. Openings that lead under your house should be boarded up with thick plywood that fits inside the seams. If you cover the opening, you create an edge that bears can use as a handle to rip off the wood. If you insert the plywood so it’s flush against the siding, or line it up with existing trim, there is nothing for the bear to grab onto and pull. Instead of nails, use screws to secure the plywood to the building. This can also be done on ground-level windows or other vulnerable points of entry. Check out our video here: https://youtu.be/dmygT5qaQeQ
Vacation Homes
Winterizing your home is another way to help deter bears from moving in during the cold months. Remove food, even canned goods and staples, from the home to help eliminate scent. Use curtains, blinds, or shutters to block the view of the kitchen. Close and lock all windows and doors. Turn off water and gas that you may not need for a while. Consider installing electric wire around windows and doors.
These are a few tips that are easy to implement and may help protect your home and bears.
Living and recreating in the Lake Tahoe Basin’s bear country is a year-round responsibility. Please do your part to help us keep our bears wild!
Here are some more tips you can follow to help keep Tahoe’s bears wild:
Never feed wildlife.
Store all garbage in and properly close bear-resistant garbage containers, preferably bear boxes. Inquire with local refuse companies about new bear box incentives and payment programs. Visit https://southtahoerefuse.com/bear-info/ and/or https://www.ndow.org/blog/living-with-bears for more information.
Never leave groceries, animal feed, garbage or anything scented in vehicles, campsites, or tents.
Keep barbecue grills clean and stored in a garage or shed when not in use.
Keep doors and windows closed and locked when the home is unoccupied.
Vegetable gardens, compost piles, orchards, and chickens may attract bears. Use electric fences where allowed to keep bears out. Refrain from hanging bird feeders.
When camping, always store food (including pet food), drinks, toiletries, coolers, cleaned grills, cleaned dishes, cleaning products, and all other scented items in the bear-resistant containers (storage lockers/bear boxes) provided at campsites. New bear-resistant coolers that come equipped with padlock devices should always be locked to meet bear-resistant requirements.
Always place garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters in campgrounds or in bear-resistant containers at campsites (storage lockers/bear boxes), and close and lock after each use.
Store food in bear-resistant food storage canisters while recreating in the backcountry.
Give wildlife space, especially when they have young with them.
Leave small bears alone, mom might be right around the corner.
Secure your crawl space and winterize your home, including removal of all food when unoccupied.
To report human-bear conflicts:
In California, contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at (916) 358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to public dispatch at (916) 358-1300.
In Nevada, contact the Nevada Department of Wildlife at (775) 688-BEAR (2327).
If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
For more information on coexisting with bears, visit TahoeBears.org.
October 2021: Bears Seeking Food for Winter
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. Fall is officially here, which usually means the Fall Fish Festival in South Lake Tahoe, and very hungry bears in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
This year, due to extraordinary circumstances involving wildfire, COVID-19, and staffing, the Fall Fish Festival was not held at Taylor Creek. However, bears are entering hyperphagia, or the time of year when they seek massive amounts of calories for the winter den cycle, and they will still be on the hunt for Kokanee salmon, seeds, berries, grubs, and other high-protein foods. Human food should not fall into this category. Learn more at the following YouTube video: https://youtu.be/SeL1U67XNdY.
Wild black bears normally eat around 5,000 calories a day during the year, but in the fall, they need an average of 20,000 to store as fat over the winter. Bears in the Tahoe Basin tend to consume more than they need by eating unhealthy human foods, as well as staying more active over the winter months to try and take advantage of unsecured garbage and food.
Hibernation, or torpor as it’s more accurately referred to for bears, occurs in late fall or early winter as the weather cools and natural food becomes less available. This slows down a bear’s metabolism and allows them to reduce activity in their dens and live off their fat stores.
Habituated bears, and males in particular, will often leave the den during this time and seek out easily obtainable food. Females, which will give birth at the beginning of the year, are more likely to stay in their dens. This could explain why Tahoe residents still see some bear activity in the winter.
During hyperphagia, bears can be very focused and persistent about getting food. They will spend most of the day trying to eat and can be more vulnerable to vehicle strikes and interaction with people. Do not try to defend a food source from a hungry bear. Do make sure to keep using and locking dumpsters and bear-resistant trash containers. Pack out trash that doesn’t fit into full containers whether you're at a rental, the beach, or a trailhead. Never provide food for bears; it is illegal, unhealthy, and can lead to human-bear conflicts such as home/vehicle break-ins or physical contact. Let bears find food in the wild and give them space.
Bear managers and law enforcement may be out hazing bears. If you see these officials yelling at bears, using airhorns, or chasing them, it is to try and get these bears out of a populated area or to give them a negative experience with humans instead of a food reward.
Officers may fire less-lethal bean bag rounds when it is determined safe to do so. This may temporarily deter bears or force them to leave the area and while it may sting, it is not meant to cause injury. Bears often climb a tree to escape danger. This is the time to back off, get somewhere safe and let them come down on their own. Hazing bears that are up in trees won’t work and sends a mixed message to the bear. Officials are doing their best to keep people and bears safe.
Living and recreating in the Lake Tahoe Basin’s bear country is a year-round responsibility. Please do your part to help us keep our bears wild!
Here are some more tips you can follow to help keep Tahoe’s bears wild:
Never feed wildlife.
Store all garbage in and properly close bear-resistant garbage containers, preferably bear boxes. Inquire with local refuse companies about new bear box incentives and payment programs. Visit https://southtahoerefuse.com/bear-info/ and/or http://www.ndow.org/Nevada_Wildlife/Bear_Logic/for more information.
Never leave groceries, animal feed, garbage or anything scented in vehicles, campsites, or tents.
Keep barbecue grills clean and stored in a garage or shed when not in use.
Keep doors and windows closed and locked when the home is unoccupied.
Vegetable gardens, compost piles, orchards and chickens may attract bears. Use electric fences where allowed to keep bears out. Refrain from hanging bird feeders.
When camping, always store food (including pet food), drinks, toiletries, coolers, cleaned grills, cleaned dishes, cleaning products, and all other scented items in the bear-resistant containers (storage lockers/bear boxes) provided at campsites. New bear resistant coolers that come equipped with padlock devices should always be locked to meet bear-resistant requirements.
Always place garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters in campgrounds or in bear-resistant containers at campsites (storage lockers/bear boxes), and close and lock after each use.
Store food in bear-resistant food storage canisters while recreating in the backcountry.
Give wildlife space, especially when they have young with them.
Leave small bears alone, mom might be right around the corner.
Secure your crawl space and winterize your home, including removal of all food when unoccupied.
To report human-bear conflicts:
· In California, contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
· Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to its public dispatch at (916) 358-1300.
· In Nevada, contact the Nevada Department of Wildlife at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
· If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
For more information on coexisting with bears, visit TahoeBears.org.
Returning Evacuees, Visitors Urged to Secure Properties, Resist Providing Food and Water to Bears
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Residents and visitors returning to the South Lake and West Shore areas of Lake Tahoe should be aware that bears have been seeking out human food sources during the evacuation and taking advantage of the lack of human presence. As you approach your residence, look and listen carefully for signs that a bear has been or is in your home. If a bear is in your home, call 911. Do not attempt to chase it out yourself. Your safety is your responsibility!
Repair Your Home ASAP
Please make repairs to damage caused by bears as soon as possible. Easy access and a food reward encourages them to come back. Keep doors and windows closed and locked when possible and board up any damage with sturdy plywood and screws until full repair can occur. If you see a bear outside your home, haze it with noise like an airhorn, even if they don’t run away. Keep them wild!
Don’t Give Food or Water to Bears
DO NOT provide food or water to bears; it is illegal, and it can lead to escalating nuisance behavior including break-ins and human-bear contact that may result in death of that bear. It is a natural process for young bears to separate from their mothers during summer breeding and before hibernation. It’s possible that family groups were separated but don’t assume that small or young bears are orphaned or in need of help. Although habitat was lost, bears can and will find natural resources in unburned areas of the Tahoe Basin and beyond. Bears need our respect, not our handouts!
What to Do with Your Trash
South Tahoe Refuse (STR) has been working hard to collect garbage that was left behind and are offering bear resistant dumpsters at drop sites for spoiled food. https://southtahoerefuse.com/ You can drop off household garbage free of charge at: Tahoe Douglas Fire Station #23, 193 Elks Point Rd., Zephyr Cove, Nev. - Mon-Fri, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. or STR Transfer Station, 2140 Ruth Ave., South Lake Tahoe, Calif. – 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (temporarily open seven days/week beginning Sept. 6, 2021). We need your help to ensure that bears don’t increase their dependency on people for food, especially as they head into hyperphagia (eating and drinking nonstop as they prepare for hibernation) this fall to prepare for winter. They are equipped to find high calorie natural foods, even after fire. Feed the dumpsters, not the bears!
Wildlife Is Resilient
Finally, some wildlife may be injured or burned as a result of the Caldor and other fires. However, wildlife is very resilient and many animals can recover and heal quickly on their own. Please report clear cases of distress to your local state agency for triage, such as an animal that is unable to walk or move on its own, appears emaciated, or orphaned. Plans are underway to facilitate this process. Eligible animals may be transferred for treatment and rehabilitation by licensed professionals. Do not approach or provide food or water to burned and injured animals. Your proximity may be adding stress. If you care, leave them there!
For assistance with property damage mitigation and/or reports of injured wildlife in California, please contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) North Central Region at 916-358-2900. For Nevada bear issues, please contact the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) at 775-688-1331. For more guidance and best practices on coexisting with black bears, please visit Keep Tahoe Bears Wild.
Emergency Notice: After the Fire
Residents and visitors returning to South Lake Tahoe should be aware that bears have been seeking out human food sources during the evacuation and taking advantage of the lack of human presence. As you approach your residence, look and listen carefully for signs that a bear has been or is in your home. If a bear is in your home, call 911. Do not attempt to chase it out yourself. Your safety is your responsibility!
Please make repairs to damage caused by bears as soon as possible. Easy access and a food reward encourages them to come back. Keep doors and windows closed and locked when possible and board up any damage with sturdy plywood and screws until full repair can occur. If you see a bear outside your home haze it with noise like an airhorn, even if they don’t run away. Keep them wild!
DO NOT provide food or water to bears; it is illegal, and it can lead to escalating nuisance behavior including break-ins and human-bear contact that may result in death of that bear. It is a natural process for young bears to separate from their mothers during summer breeding and before hibernation. It’s possible that family groups were separated but don’t assume that small or young bears are orphaned or in need of help. Although habitat was lost, bears can and will find natural resources in unburned areas of the Basin and beyond. Bears need our respect, not our handouts!
South Tahoe Refuse has been working hard to collect garbage that was left behind and are offering bear resistant dumpsters at drop sites for spoiled food. https://southtahoerefuse.com/ You can drop off household garbage free of charge at: Tahoe Douglas Fire Station #23, 193 Elks Point Rd., Zephyr Cove, NV - Mon-Fri, 1pm-5pm or STR Transfer Station, 2140 Ruth Ave., South Lake Tahoe, CA - 8:00am- 5:00pm (temporarily open 7 days/week beginning 9/6/21). We need your help to ensure that bears don’t increase their dependency on people for food, especially as they head into hyperphagia this Fall to prepare for Winter. They are equipped to find high calorie natural foods, even after fire. Feed the dumpsters, not the bears!
Finally, some wildlife will be injured or burned. However, wildlife are very resilient, and many animals can recover and heal quickly on their own. Please report extreme cases to your local state agency for triage, plans are underway to facilitate this process. Eligible animals may be transferred for treatment and rehabilitation by licensed professionals. Animals that have manageable pain can be transported; humane decisions will be made for all bears. Do not approach or provide food or water to burned and injured animals, your proximity may be adding stress. If you care, leave them there!