DFG Successfully Relocates Southern California Bear

Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens responded quickly Tuesday morning and relocated a bear that has been getting into Southern California trash cans.

The 400-pound bear has been sighted multiple times around the Glendale area in the last three weeks. This morning, it was cornered in a La Crescenta backyard giving DFG officials the opportunity to safely tranquilize and remove it. It was then transported to the Angeles National Forest for release back into the wild.

The bear appears to be a healthy male about three years old. DFG has been monitoring the bear in this area for several weeks and working with local law enforcement and DFG biologists to balance public safety needs with the desire to safely move the bear to suitable habitat.

“The cooperative effort paid off this morning with a successful removal of the bear without injury, to the animal or any of the surrounding public,” said DFG Assistant Chief Paul Hamdorf. “We are obviously very pleased that the bear will be released and that it was done safely.”

When wild animals are allowed to feed on human food and garbage, they lose their natural ways, often resulting in death for the animal. Bears and other animals are attracted to anything edible or smelly. Humans can take these steps to prevent attracting bears and other animals to their homes or campsites:

• Store garbage in bear-proof containers or in the garage until pick-up.
• Keep food indoors or in airtight and odor-free containers.
• Put away picnic leftovers; clean BBQ grills.
• Keep pet food inside.
• Pick up fallen tree fruit as soon as possible, or protect fruit trees with electric fencing.
• Remove cosmetic fragrances and other attractants, including bird feeders and compost piles.
• Install or request bear-proof trash containers.

Media Contacts:
Andrew Hughan, DFG Communications, (916) 322-8944

DFG Successfully Returns Yearling Bears Back to Mother Nature

Media Contacts:  
Marc Kenyon, DFG Wildlife Branch, (916) 445-3515
Janice Mackey, DFG Communications, (916) 322-8908

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has completed its 2012 yearling bear release program by returning six orphaned cubs to the wild where they were born. The cubs were found in various locations around the state in the summer months of 2011 and were rehabilitated at a licensed care facility in Lake Tahoe prior to being judged ready to return to the wild.

All six cubs, four males and two females, were in distress and weighed between 15 – 30 pounds when found. Two brother cubs that were found by hikers in the Fresno area had lost their mother to the arrow of a poacher, while another cub was found bawling in a farmer’s pear tree in San Luis Obispo. The others were victims of some other unfortunate circumstance.

“One of the most satisfying experiences I’ve had at DFG is to return a bear back into its environment and live the way natured intended it,” DFG Bear Program Coordinator Marc Kenyon said. “The bear rehabilitation program at Lake Tahoe is completely funded by generous donations and passionate volunteers. Our hope is that we can take learnings from facilities like this and keep bears from becoming public nuisances.”

To be eligible for rehabilitation, a cub must still be dependent upon its mother and not habituated. DFG works with the non-profit Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) organization – the only licensed bear program in California to rehabilitate qualified cubs. At the facility, cubs learn how forage for real bear food such as berries, acorns, fish, grubs and insects. Human contact is kept to a minimum or is non-existent.

When the yearling bears leave, each has tripled its size or more. Most weigh from 45 -80 pounds, depending upon their body type and the condition they arrived in.

“Our hope is that these cubs will wake up to bountiful buffet of spring food and become productive members of California’s thriving bear population,” Kenyon said. “Regardless if it’s six bears or 30,000, every bear in California is important.”

Upon release, each cub is given a final health check up which includes taking hair and blood samples, and is fitted with a radio transmitter to track its movements for the next year. Yearlings are placed in man-made dens with bedding used from the LTWC to give them some familiarity.

In most circumstances, DFG recommends that people leave wildlife alone, including removing attractants from their properties. If this is not an option, DFG should be contacted. For more information, please see www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/.

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Avoid Unwanted Encounters With Bears at Tahoe

Media Contacts:
Jason Holley, DFG Supervising Wildlife Biologist, (916) 212-1663
Brian Naslund, DFG Warden Captain, (916) 358-2908
Marc Kenyon, DFG Wildlife Branch, (916) 445-3515
Dana Michaels, DFG Communications, (916) 322-2420

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) reminds people enjoying the Lake Tahoe Basin to take precautions to avoid black bear encounters. This area is prime black bear habitat, and many of these wild animals are not afraid of humans. Recently, a bear had to be killed after a man in his tent was injured as the bear tried to break in.

Bears are constantly searching for food, which humans inadvertently make obtainable to them. It is important for everyone to avoid creating odors that attract bears. They are attracted not only to food but also perfume, cologne and containers that once held food.

Yearling California black bear

“A bear’s fate is almost always sealed once it associates humans with food,” said Marc Kenyon, DFG statewide bear program coordinator. “It’s unfortunate when a bear becomes a threat and has to be killed because people either haven’t learned how to appropriately store food and trash, or simply don’t care.”

Last year DFG staff logged more than 5,200 hours handling black bear nuisance calls in the Lake Tahoe region alone. Bears’ attempts to obtain human food cause the majority of public safety incidents involving bears. California’s growing black bear population is now estimated at more than 30,000. DFG biologists have ramped-up staff and study efforts to learn more about urban black bear trends while providing increased public response throughout the Tahoe Basin. Black bears are located in most of the state where suitable habitat exists and bear-human encounters are not isolated to wilderness settings.

DFG wardens and biologists respond to numerous wildlife feeding issues throughout the state. Access to human food or garbage, whether it is overflowing from a campground or residential dumpster or in the form of snacks in a tent, is the most common bear attractant. When wild animals are allowed to feed on human food and garbage, they lose their natural ways – often resulting in death for the animal.

Feeding wildlife or allowing wildlife access to human food provides unnatural food sources, habituates animals to humans and can change animal behavior from foraging for food in the wild to relying on human food sources in or near urban areas, which can lead to bears breaking into cars or houses to seek out food. It is also illegal to intentionally feed wildlife in California.

DFG’s Keep Me Wild campaign was developed in part to address the increasing number of conflicts between black bears and people. The campaign provides important tips for living and recreating safely in bear habitat, and advice on what to do if you encounter one of these wild animals. Please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/bear.html for more information.

Bear Country Precautions:

• Keep a close watch on children and teach them what to do if they encounter a bear.
• While hiking, make noise to avoid a surprise encounter with a bear.
• Never keep food in your tent.
• Store food and toiletries in bear-proof containers or in an airtight container in the trunk of your vehicle.
• Keep a clean camp by cleaning up and storing food and garbage immediately after meals.
• Use bear-proof garbage cans whenever possible or store your garbage in a secure location with your food.
• Don’t bury or burn excess food; bears will still be attracted to the residual smell.
• Garbage should be packed out of camp if no trash receptacles are available.
• Never approach a bear or pick up a bear cub.
• Do not attempt to attract a bear to your location; observe the animal and take pictures from afar.
• If you encounter a bear, do not run; instead, face the animal, make noise and try to appear as large as possible.
• If attacked, fight back.

If a bear harms a person in any way, immediately call 911.