Increased bear activity is predicted for the Truckee Meadows and Tahoe Basin as voracious animals emerge from hibernation.
The ongoing drought will likely send hungry bears from the mountains to Reno. And the Tahoe area could see an increase as bears affected by the Caldor Fire come out of hibernation.
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In an average year, the Nevada Department of Wildlife responds to approximately 500 bear-related calls, but last year the agency received 1,110 bear-related calls in the Reno, Carson City and Gardnerville, according to NDOW game biologist Heather Reich.
And calls have already started coming in this year in areas such as Mogul, Douglas County and the Zolezzi Lane area of Reno.
“The level of bear activity is really influenced by drought,” Reich said. “We are preparing for another intense season.”
Bears are rarely dangerous, according to Reich. Instead, the problem is that once the bears find a food source, they refuse to leave.
Caldor Fire left Tahoe homes open for snacking
Bears forced to flee the Caldor Fire traveled to the Tahoe Basin, and bears already living in Tahoe learned new behaviors last fall during the mandatory wildfire evacuation, according to the Lake Tahoe. Interagency Bear Team, a partnership between the California and Nevada Departments of Wildlife, California State Parks, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and US Forest Service.
These bears – already comfortable with people – had to roam the evacuated neighborhoods for food without being harassed.
They had no humans screaming, chasing or hazing them and no electrical deterrents due to power outages. Bears have caused thousands of dollars in property damage in the Tahoe Keys.
The lack of consequences during the evacuation period will have ripple and lasting effects on bear behavior for seasons to come, the team says. Because bears are so smart, once they’ve learned something, it’s hard to break their bad habits.
Peter Tira, public information officer for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said it’s difficult to keep track of the number of bear calls received in the Tahoe Basin because many agencies monitor the area.
Last year, the agency conducted a trap/tag/mist operation in South Lake Tahoe to aid residents in hard-hit areas.
The bears were tagged and moved to nearby unburnt habitat to break the cycle of break-ins and food rewards that went unchecked during evacuations. Once relocated, these bears were scrambled upon release with horns, paintball guns and non-lethal cartridges to give the bears negative human interaction to prevent them from returning to the area.
But not all the problem bears were caught and misted, as shown by several bears, including the notorious Hank the Tank, which continued to break into Tahoe Keys homes throughout the fall months and of winter.
To help prevent human-bear interactions, businesses should keep dumpsters locked at all times, residents should use bear-resistant trash cans, and attractants such as bird feeders should not be turned off.
To report human-bear conflicts in Nevada, contact the Nevada Department of Wildlife at 775-688-BEAR (2327). In California, contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at 916-358-2917 or apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
For more information on living with bears, visit TahoeBears.org.
Amy Alonzo covers the outdoors, recreation and environment for Nevada and Lake Tahoe. Contact her at aalonzo@gannett.com. Here’s how you can support ongoing coverage and local journalism.