Lake Tahoe bear activity ramps up, increasing number of bears vs. vehicles draws concern
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Mon, 09/11/2023 - 11:20am
Two cubs who were hit by a vehicle in South Lake Tahoe about three weeks ago are on the mend, but their condition is concerning to many who have seen them. They were hit on Pioneer Trail, and the Bear League and others who responded have kept an eye on the two to make sure they are continuing to move around and able to get food.
Local urbanized black bear expert Toogee Sielsch said it's hard to see the bears moving around with obvious injuries, but as long as they can keep up with the momma bear they have a good chance of survival. They have been seen not only running alongside the momma bear but also climbing wood piles and rocks. No tree sightings yet, but all else appears to be going in the direction that is best for the cubs.
The pair are two of about 70 bears hit by vehicles in the Lake Tahoe Basin this summer. Out of these 70, an estimated 40 have died from their injuries. This is a record number according to Ann Bryant, executive director of the Bear League.
She said even with those that survive, some are crippled either permanently or temporarily. The number of dead bears could be higher, said Bryant, as they don't know about all of them or the ones that run off into the forest after being hit by a car.
Bryant said she is very worried about the next several weeks as the bears enter hyperphagia, the stage where bears fatten up before entering the den in winter. Bears can eat about 20 hours a day during this stage (instead of the normal 6-8 hours), and to find more food they'll be crossing roads much more frequently.
"We could have another 60-70 bears hit during this phase," said Bryant who is worried about what could happen with the escalation of activity.
The City of South Lake Tahoe responded quickly to the increase in bear crossings and bear collisions, and put up four portable electronic message boards along popular bear routes, each with a "Watch for Wildlife" message. Bryant said they are working and she is very appreciative of the City's quick response. Since the Pioneer/Al Tahoe Boulevard signs were placed before Labor Day there haven't been any bears hit on those routes.
A bear was hit near Tahoe Keys Boulevard on Friday night, but not due to driver speed or inattention. They were going slow and didn't see the bear in the dark. The bear got up and left the scene and hasn't been seen.
Even though black bears are all around the lake, South Lake Tahoe has an estimated 35-40 percent of them — about 500 black bears — on the South Shore alone.
Injured cubs that are ambulatory actually have a good chance of survival, thanks to Mother Nature. Even if they are walking on three legs, bears know that if they keep the injured paw up and don't walk on it, they'll heal. The injuries are healing as they limp.
Casts don't work as the bear would just work to remove it (and they've been removed from their home to get it done). If an injured bear can make it through this season and get into a winter den, they have a great chance to reemerge all healed.
Bryant said she's seen bears with horrible, open wounds and broken bones emerge in Spring after the denning cycle without hardly a scar.
Many want agencies to step in and help bears they see injured, but if that happens the bear would be separated from its mother and sibling(s), or euthanized, neither an outcome bear experts want to see.
"Let them be, don't interfere," said Bryant of injured bears. "We are not going to take them to the hospital. Can't treat them the same as humans, they are wild."
There are a lot of limping bears right now, and an estimated 18-20 according to Bryant. She said during a normal year there are about 12-20 bears with broken limbs and bad injuries that survive.
"I've been dreading this for a couple of months," said Bryant of hyperphagia which goes until the end of November. "This was the worst summer for injuries to bears."
The best two words to abide by for this time of year is to "slow down." If you see one bear on the road, there just might be two or three more nearby. Also, keep doors and windows on cars and homes locked, and secure all trash. For more information on living with bears see the website bearwise.org.
