Instagram account Portal MX (@portal_mexico) posted a video of bears roaming around and damaging a vacationer’s cabin. One bear tracked the person filming the video, followed them, charged at them, and then returned to eating the contents of the fridge. A cub seemed undisturbed and continued to eat food in the kitchen, and another cub was seen exploring from the top of the dining room table.
“She has cubs! Very protective of her cubs!” one Instagrammer commented. “Just open a door, back away and let them leave when ready!”
What’s happening?
Bears often ransack homes, cars, and campsites in search of food.
They are naturally curious animals with a strong sense of smell, which leads them to explore areas where they detect potential food sources. Bears can smell food from miles away, and if they can easily access a space, they will.
Why should we be concerned about bears?
These frequent encounters can be dangerous to both bears and humans. As bears become increasingly accustomed to human interactions, they may lose their fear of people and find themselves in harm’s way.
It is thought by wildlife experts that bears are exploring these human spaces because, as humans take over more of their habitat for residential and commercial use, they have fewer resources that they rely on for survival. The warming climate has also reduced the resources they have access to due to drier conditions and weaker vegetation, as well as habitat destruction due to wildfires and invasive species. Some bear populations must seek out food in unconventional ways to survive.
Seeking alternative food sources often leads them closer to humans and farther away from their territories, putting them at greater risk.
Wildlife habitat destruction can almost entirely be attributed to human actions — and inactions.
What’s being done to help the bears and reduce human interactions?
Conservation efforts and public education on how to responsibly respect the bears are vital aspects of preserving the bears’ habitats.
It is important to remember, in the short term, to lock our cars and homes if we are near areas that bears inhabit, and to back away and respect their space in all encounters.
Commenters on the Instagram post were not fans of the way the person filming continued to interact with the mother bear.
“She could easily … end you,” one commenter said.
“Do you really think you could have escaped in case she had attacked you?” another asked. “You were definitely taking a risk.”
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