Don’t Blame the Bears

To coexist with Tahoe’s wildlife, residents and visitors must learn to live responsibly in a region rich with wild animals. That includes respecting wildlife as part of the landscape and taking steps to avoid conflicts, even when those actions may feel inconvenient.
This message is especially important when it comes to keeping black bears wild. Bears are opportunistic omnivores that seek the highest-calorie food sources with the least effort. Any scented or edible item can attract them at any time of day.

That often brings bears into neighborhoods, where unsecured garbage, bird feeders and pet food provide easy access to human food sources.

Wildlife managers say many residents report storing trash outside for years without problems, but current bear behavior requires new strategies. Officials say blaming bears for instinctive behavior, particularly when conflicts are preventable, only delays solutions.

Black bears lived in the Tahoe Basin for thousands of years but were nearly eliminated in the late 1800s. Populations have rebounded over the past 40 years, but many residents now live near bears without firsthand experience coexisting responsibly with wildlife. Agencies have increased outreach, but human behavior, especially related to food and attractants, continues to drive most conflicts.

Officials also emphasize the importance of language. Terms such as nuisance bear or problem bear can shift responsibility away from human actions. Wildlife officials encourage using accurate language to describe the situation, such as “bears involved in conflicts.”

While garbage, food and bird feeders account for most conflicts, they are not the only attractants. Bears may use unsecured crawl spaces beneath homes for winter dens. Allowing this behavior signals to bears that living near people is acceptable. In some cases, residents have filmed and named hibernating bears, sending mixed messages about wildlife boundaries.

Residents must reduce conflicts by securing crawl spaces and removing attractants. Officials encourage people to discourage bears from frequenting developed areas and to take proactive steps to keep bears wild.

The Tahoe Interagency Bear Team urges the community to rethink its approach to human-bear interactions and accept the responsibility that comes with living in bear country. Officials say public attitudes toward bears influence both tolerance and long-term coexistence.

For more tips about living responsibly with bears, visit TahoeBears.org and BearWise.org.

To report bear incidents or conflict in the Lake Tahoe Basin, use the following:

• In California, contact 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 keep Tahoe bears wild and safe!