California wildlife expert shares black bear safety tips
WITH WARMER WEATHER ON THE WAY, SOME ANIMALS ARE EMERGING FROM HIBERNATION. AND THAT’S WHY RESIDENTS NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO IF THEY HAVE AN ENCOUNTER. JOINING US THIS MORNING TO TALK MORE ABOUT HOW TO STAY SAFE IS BLACK BEAR, EXPERT WITH THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE, RYAN LEE. RYAN, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. HEY, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. OF COURSE, EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE, FIRST OF ALL, HOW BLACK BEAR BEHAVIOR ACTUALLY CHANGES OR COULD CHANGE WITH THIS UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER. YEAH. THANKS. GREAT QUESTIONS. I APPRECIATE YOU FOR HAVING ME AGAIN THIS MORNING. WHAT WE’RE SEEING AND NOTICING IS PROBABLY A SORT OF AN ADVANCEMENT IN THE IN THE SEASONALITY AND CYCLE. SO BEARS ARE EMERGING EARLIER HUNGRY, LOOKING FOR FOOD. ABOUT A MONTH OR A MONTH AND A HALF EARLIER THAN USUAL. THIS REDUCED SNOWPACK. SO BEARS ARE GOING TO BE VERY HUNGRY AND LOOKING FOR FOOD IN GRASSY MEADOWS. IN AREAS LIKE THAT, ALSO AROUND HOMES. WE’RE ALREADY GETTING REPORTS OF INDEPENDENT BEARS THAT DIDN’T REPRODUCE EXITING DENS AND VISITING HOMES, LOOKING AROUND FOR ANY AVAILABLE FOOD SOURCES, TRASH, BIRDSEED, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THIS UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER AND WHAT IT ULTIMATELY MEANS? IT ESSENTIALLY MEANS THAT WE ARE ADVANCING THE SEASON. SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IT JUST IT IT SPEEDS UP THE THE EMERGENCE A LITTLE BIT. SO ESSENTIALLY WE’RE GETTING EARLIER REPORTS A LITTLE BIT MORE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY. AND IT COULD MEAN IT COULD MEAN MORE DIFFICULTY FOR ANIMALS, FINDING GOOD FOOD SOURCES ACROSS THE, THE, THE NORMAL SEASONAL RANGE. SO IT MIGHT EXPEDITE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE MEADOWS DRY UP FASTER. BEARS EMERGING EARLIER MIGHT BE HUNGRY RIGHT NOW. SO, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT BE ADVANCING INTO INTO FOOD SOURCES THAT ARE EASILY AVAILABLE, INCLUDING ANTHROPOGENIC FOOD SOURCES. AROUND HOMES AND HOUSES. SO YEAH, IT, IT IS A LITTLE CONCERNING THAT WE’RE LOSING THE SNOWPACK SO QUICKLY. AND SOME OF THE COVER AND CONCEALMENT FOR SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS. AND OF COURSE, WE KNOW WITH SPRING BREAK COMING UP PRETTY SOON, MANY PEOPLE MAY BE HEADED TO VACATION. WHAT’S THE ADVICE AND WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE BE DOING TO BOTH PROTECT THEIR HOMES FROM BEAR AND FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY ENCOUNTER THEM WHILE THEY ARE ON VACATION? GREAT QUESTIONS. FIRST AND FOREMOST, IF YOU ENCOUNTER A BEAR, IF YOU ENCOUNTER A BEAR, PLEASE LET US KNOW. WE HAVE A REPORTING SYSTEM ONLINE. IT’S A WILDLIFE INCIDENT REPORTING SYSTEM AND CDFW WEBSITE, SO THAT’S A GREAT WAY TO GET IN TOUCH WITH US. BUT AS FAR AS WHAT RESIDENTS CAN DO, IT’S REALLY CRITICAL. YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE FOLKS GOING ON VACATION. SO A LOT OF SHORT TERM RENTALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON IS FOOD STORAGE. BEARS HAVE EASY ACCESS TO HUMAN FOOD, SAY BIRD FEEDERS OR TRASH LEFT OUT. WE REALLY WANT THIS IS A GREAT TIME OF YEAR TO GO AHEAD AND REVIEW ALL OF YOUR BARE BASICS, WHICH ARE STORING ANTHROPOGENIC FOODS INSIDE. ANYTHING THAT HAS A SCENT. EVEN, LIKE I SAID, IT’S GOT 3000 CALORIES PER POUND UP TO. SO LIKE THAT GOING AROUND KIND OF SOAPING AROUND YOUR AREA AND MAKING SURE THERE’S NO EASY ACCESS AND THAT YOU’RE REALLY MANAGING TRASH AND ANY ATTRACTANTS REALLY CAREFULLY. SO THINGS LIKE NOT LEAVING TRASH OUT OVERNIGHT ON THE CURBSIDE, TRYING TO TAKE IT OUT RIGHT BEFORE IN THE MORNING IS A REALLY GOOD THING. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY SORT OF ANY SORT OF INTERACTIONS WITH WILDLIFE, YOU WANT TO, YOU WANT TO NOT CORNER THE ANIMAL. YOU DON’T WANT TO GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY, BUT IF YOU DO HAVE CLOSE PROXIMITY OR SORT OF INCIDENTS, WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THEM. SO PLEASE REPORT THEM ONLINE SO WE CAN GET OUT THERE WITH BIOLOGISTS OR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TAKE A LOOK AND ASSESS THE SITUATION. ABSOLUTELY. RYAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION
With warmer weather approaching, residents are advised to learn how to stay safe as animals emerge from hibernation. Ryan Leahy, a black bear expert with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, joined KCRA 3 to share safety tips. He said that bears are emerging about a month or a month and a half earlier than usual with reduced snowpack and are looking for food. Leahy urged people to report a bear encounter and for residents to focus on managing their trash. For example, don’t leave trash out on a curb overnight, he said. Learn more in the video above. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
TAHOE CITY, Calif. —
With warmer weather approaching, residents are advised to learn how to stay safe as animals emerge from hibernation.
Ryan Leahy, a black bear expert with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, joined KCRA 3 to share safety tips.
He said that bears are emerging about a month or a month and a half earlier than usual with reduced snowpack and are looking for food.
Leahy urged people to report a bear encounter and for residents to focus on managing their trash. For example, don’t leave trash out on a curb overnight, he said.
Learn more in the video above.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel