California: Hungry bear breaks into a house to snack on bread and fruit before being chased away by deputies

LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA -- A hungry bear broke into a California home and snacked on bread and fruit before deputies were able to chase it away.

Footage from inside the house in Northstar, North Lake Tahoe, shows the bear rifling through bags of groceries on a kitchen island.

It was posted to Facebook on Thursday by the Placer County Sheriff's Office, which branded the animal 'hungry and fearless'.

Bears are coming out of hibernation and deputies say this particular bear broke into the house specifically to look for food.

Fortunately the bear was chased away without causing any injuries or property damage.

The Sheriff's Office wrote online: 'This afternoon, this hungry and fearless bear broke into a home at Northstar, North Lake Tahoe, to get some groceries.

'The homeowners called us, and our deputies were able to chase him out of the house, after he snacked on some fruit and bread!

'As bears are coming out of hibernation, please use utmost caution if you encounter them.

'In this case, the homeowners were very grateful to the deputies who got the bear out of their house with no injuries and no property damage.'

FACEBOOK POST
Placer County Sheriff's Office is at Northstar California Resort.

This afternoon, this hungry and fearless bear broke into a home at Northstar, North Lake Tahoe, to get some groceries. The homeowners called us, and our deputies were able to chase him out of the house, after he snacked on some fruit and bread!

As bears are coming out of hibernation, please use utmost caution if you encounter them. In this case, the homeowners were very grateful to the deputies who got the bear out of their house with no injuries and no property damage.

 

(Daily Mail - May 5, 2018)

Colorado: Police rescue bear which broke into car, locked himself in, then honked horn for help

COLORADO -- Boulder County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook April 17 at 5:56am ·

Our deputies responded to a vehicle trespass with an....usual suspect. A bear broke into a car and locked himself in.

Car 0. Bear 1.

They were able to open the car door and safely let the bear out without anyone, including the bear, being harmed.

This is a good reminder that wildlife is out and about this time of year looking for food. Here are tips for living with bears. Trust us, you don’t want to have to deal with a “hangry” bear.

1) Don’t feed birds while bears are active. Attract birds with water feeders, plantings and nest boxes instead.
2) Store garbage in bear-resistant containers, enclosures or buildings.
3) Put trash out the morning of pick up, not the night before.
4) Keep bear-accessible windows and doors closed and locked at night.
5) Keep garage doors closed. Lock the door between the house and the garage.
6) Don’t leave anything inside your vehicle that could attract a bear. That includes sun tan lotion, hand crème and air fresheners, along with empty food wrappers and packaging.
7) Don’t leave pet food or empty pet food dishes outside. Store pet food in a secure enclosure.
8)Put chickens and small livestock in a secure pen at night or electric fence their enclosure.
9) Pick fruit and produce as soon as, or just before, it ripens.
10) Unwelcome mats and electric fencing are proven ways to keep bears out.

Colorado: Police and wildlife officers rescue mama bear and cubs who were chased up tree by people trying to photograph them

COLORADO -- Those were not big cats plucked out of a tree Thursday afternoon by the Aspen fire department.

A mother bear and two cubs that took up residence this week in a tree on an Aspen pedestrian mall were evicted when Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials tranquilized the mother and then two cubs.

The groggy mother slowly slid down the tree trunk and into a tarp held by law enforcement officials.

Once she was wrapped up and put in a cage, fire officials used a cherry-picker basket to get to the sedated cubs.

When the three were safely on the ground, the crowd of people who gathered behind the caution tape cheered the rescue.

The mama bear and her two cubs appeared healthy and will be driven "way west of here," said Perry Will, area wildlife manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "They'll be very close to the Utah border in very good habitat."

The bears were in Aspen probably for the crab apples, Will said, because food in the mountains is scarce this year.

"They're not bad bears," Will said. "They just found a spot that was bad."

The cubs were likely born in February in the den, while the mother is probably 5 or 6 years old.

Aspen Police Chief Richard Pryor said he thinks it was the same mother and two cubs who were hanging around the courthouse last week.

Earlier Thursday, police said the situation "got pretty heated" Wednesday when the bears tried to leave the tree among a large group of onlookers.

The police department had yellow caution tape around much of the center of the Hyman Avenue mall Thursday and at about 2:30 p.m. decided to bring the bears out of the tree.

The family of bears had attempted to leave, climbing down from the tree Wednesday evening, but a waiting crowd pounced - many of them “insisting on trying to get close enough to take selfies,” according to Sgt. Rob Fabrocini.

Sgt. Fabrocini witnessed one woman walk up to the bears with her child in her arms hoping to take a picture with them.

When the bears tried to escape, a small group of people pursued them, trying to shoot video.

During the chase, the mother and cubs were separated. The upset mother returned to the mall looking for her cubs. She unleashed loud cries.

“People were still walking right up to her, even when it was clear she was agitated and growling as people got close,” Fabrocini said.

Police feared that the bear might attack someone and told the crowd to disperse.

*   *   *   *   *  

During Thursday's removal, the entire block-long mall was closed down for about an hour.

 

 

There have been a large number of bear-related reports this summer, according to Aspen police.

"Every single day we're getting lots and lots of bear calls," Aspen Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn said last week.

Kurtis Tesch, wildlife manager in the Aspen area for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said the bears' food sources are minimal because the acorn crop this year froze and berries are scarce.

As of last week, Tecsch said they had euthanized about nine bears and relocated many others.

"I'm glad it looks like there will be a happy ending for them," Aspen Police Officer Ryan Turner said after Thursday's relocation.

(The Aspen Times - Sept 4, 2017)

Canada: Officers help rescue injured bear cub from tree using traffic safety vests

CANADA -- Two OPP officers rescued an injured bear by creating a net from traffic safety vests.

The bear cub was injured after being hit by a car near Bracebridge on Highway 11 on Monday. Scared, the cub climbed into a nearby tree.

 

 

Const. Dean Ronson and Const. James Reading found the cub and noticed it was hurt and about to fall.

After slowing traffic in the area and calling “Bear With Us" – a sanctuary that specifically helps bears – they devised a way to catch the animal.

“We went to the trunks of our cars, grabbed our traffic vests, overlaid them,” says Ronson.

 

They figured the vests could help cradle the bear if they couldn’t catch it with their hands.

“We knew it would only be seconds, but we were able to run and get under the tree in time and we positioned the vests,” says Reading.

"She hit the vests the police officers were using as a catch all. I grabbed her then Dr. Trinita Barboza of the national wildlife centre injected her with a sedative," says Mike McIntosh of Bear With Us.

The bear was taken to the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary for preliminary treatment.

 

 

X-rays of the cub shows it suffered a broken bone and likely damaged others. The quick action by the officers prevents things from getting worse.

"All of the pieces fell into place and we are very proud to have been part of it," says Reading.

The bear is on its way to the National Wildlife centre in Caledon.

At this point, the bear is expected to make a full recovery, but it will spend the next year at the Bear With Us sanctuary until its mature enough to be released.

 

  

(CTV News - August 1, 2017)

Tennessee: Sick little bear cub rescued by Appalachian Bear Rescue and named Sheldon

TENNESSEE -- Appalachian Bear Rescue added 5 new photos to the album: ABR Newsflash-June 29, 2017 -Rescued Bear #264 Arrives.
June 29 at 10:55pm ·

Earlier today, Curator David received an urgent call about a cub near Townsend in need of help. He met TWRA officers at the site and discovered a little bear at the bottom of a deep ditch, not moving. The cub was very small, very sick… and not alone.

Above the ditch, on a hill, the cub’s mother and its two siblings watched. The mother sent her two healthy cubs (who were three times the size of the sick one) up a tree while she tried to return to her smallest and weakest. But there was nothing more she could do.

This is why we hate to use the word “abandoned”. This mother had tried to take care of her three cubs for five months, and this little cub had tried to keep up with the family, but mother and cub had reached the end of trying: she could do no more and he couldn’t walk another step.

There was no abandonment; this was a family doing its best. It’s a tragedy played out every day, but this time there was an audience that could change the ending.

The cub was transported to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and examined by Dr. Sheldon and her team.

It is a male, about five months old, the same age as Otto and Rollo, and weighs six pounds. He was treated for dehydration and very low blood sugar and will be kept at UT’s ICU unit overnight. He is very sick, very weak and may not live. Regardless, he is one of ours now.

Please welcome, Sheldon Bear, named in honor of Dr. Julie Sheldon. It’s her last day at UT and this is the last little ABR bear she will examine. Thank you, Dr. Sheldon.

We also thank the TWRA and the citizens who placed the call. We keep Sheldon’s mother in our thoughts. We will do our best for her cub.

To donate to Sheldon's care and the Appalachian Bear Rescue

Colorado: Bear cub looking for a snack gets stuck in car in Woodland Park

COLORADO -- All he wanted was a midnight snack.

Police suspect a baby bear was enticed by the smell of food before the animal ended up in the back seat of someone’s car in Woodland Park late Friday night.

The Woodland Park Police Department posted a photo of the furry intruder, sitting next to what appear to be a few canned goods, on the agency’s Facebook page on Saturday morning.

"It is summer time in Woodland Park!" the department said in the post. "Please be aware of what's in your car, this little guy got stuck in a car last night."

A woman called authorities after she heard strange noises coming from her car, according to a dispatcher at the department. An officer who responded to the call opened the door and ushered the cub out of the car and back into the wild.

Police believe the cub’s mother somehow opened the vehicle door, the dispatcher said.

When officers arrived, they could hear an animal rustling in bushes nearby, but didn’t see the mama bear, the dispatcher said. They checked back several hours later and saw no signs of either animal.

(The Gazette - June 3, 2017)

New York: Bear that had plastic food container stuck over his head for more than a month is finally freed

NEW YORK -- One fella learned where not to put his head.

A bear with a plastic bucket on his head was first noticed near Kirkwood, New York last month.

Residents called environmental officials after the bear showed up in someone's yard.

But, it took state workers almost a month to catch him with a trap.

Officials tranquilized him and removed the bucket, before letting him back into the wild.

They said the bear has made a full recovery, and is happy to be able to roam free again.

  

  

  

 

(CBS12 - May 26, 2017)

Vermont: James Burke fined $868 for ignoring wildlife officials' repeated warnings to stop feeding bears at his house

VERMONT -- Vermont wildlife officials said a man was fined $868 after wardens caught him feeding wild black bears in his yard.

Vermont Fish & Wildlife said Wardens Richard Watkin and Lt. Greg Eckhardt executed a search warrant at the Wilmington home of James Burke,60, and witnessed "several bears" eating from plates of food in the yard and acting "indifferent to human presence."

The agency shared a photo of a bear walking among the plates of food on Facebook.

Officials said Burke was convicted of two misdemeanor counts and fined $868 for feeding the bears, which was made illegal by a 2013 law.

The agency said Burke was repeatedly warned about feeding bears over the years (as far back as 2006) and officials offered to work with him to wean the bears off his food source, but the search warrant was issued when they discovered that bears fitted with radio collars for a habitat study were continuing to frequent the property.

"Wardens noted a large number of bears that were killed along the road near the man's residence," the Facebook post said.

“A bear that has been fed no longer behaves like a wild bear,” said Forrest Hammond, bear biologist for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. “Too often, these instances end tragically for the bear.

"The bear ends up being hit by a car as they go from house to house foraging for food, or they lose their fear of people and become aggressive and need to be put down. Bears that have been fed can present a danger not just to the person feeding the bear, but also to their neighbors for many miles around.”

(UPI - Dec 9, 2016)

Earlier:

• Vermont: Wilmington Man Arrested for Allegedly Feeding Bear

Tennessee: Gatlinburg Tourists Plead Guilty to Feeding Black Bear

TENNESSEE -- Two visitors pleaded guilty to feeding a black bear outside their Gatlinburg rental cabin last summer.

40-year-old Billy Harden and Dawn Cantrell, 27, both from Nashville, Ind., appeared in Sevier County General Sessions Court on Oct. 27, 2016 where they pleaded guilty to the charge of feeding a black bear while vacationing at a rental cabin on Silverbell Lane in Gatlinburg last July.

Feeding black bears is illegal in Tennessee. The violation is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 and six months in jail.

Cantrell caused a social media uproar when she posted photos of people, including a child, hand feeding a yearling black bear.

The incident was brought to the attention of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Officer Scott Reasor, the agency’s Bear Enforcement Officer in Gatlinburg, responded to the scene and cited Harden and Cantrell with feeding the black bear.

“Feeding bears eventually results in them becoming completely habituated to approaching people and ultimately becoming dependent on humans as a food source,” said Officer Reasor. “Once this happens, they lose interest in natural foraging and have to be removed from that environment and in some extreme cases, euthanized.”

Judge Dwight Stokes assessed fines of $200 each with adjoining court costs of $270 each to both to Harden and Cantrell.

According to TWRA, the agency has documented 603 black bear incidents as of September. The majority of these cases were simple bear sightings, yet others range from garbage issues and property damage, to bears struck by vehicles and orphaned cubs. There have been only four reported incidents involving aggressive bears.

“In recent years, two separate incidents reveal just how dangerous the intentional feeding of bears can be. In 2009, a 74-year-old woman in Colorado, who had previously been warned against feeding bears by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, was found mauled to death and partially eaten by a black bear in her back yard,” said TWRA spokesperson Matthew Cameron.

“In 2015, an 85-year-old woman from Montana was attacked inside her home by a bear she had been actively feeding. She died from her injuries within days of the attack.”

TWRA announced in September that it was partnering with the City of Gatlinburg and a number of other agencies, businesses and organizations to launch the Bear Wise Task Force to develop educational materials for citizens and tourists, as well as address standards for bear-resistant trash containers.

(Sevier News Messenger - Nov 15, 2016)

Connecticut: Large black bear is the first to reach bear-proofed bird feeder

CONNECTICUT -- A Connecticut home owner who attempted to bear-proof a bird feeder with iron pipe and concrete captured video of a large black bear accepting the challenge.

The Canton resident said the bird feeder was placed atop an iron pipe and was set in concrete earlier in the summer after it was knocked over twice by a bear.

 

 

 

 

The homeowner said bears have since been able to shake the pole and get some seed, but the bruin captured by the home's security camera was the first one large enough to swat the feeder on top of the pole.

The video shows the bear repeatedly strike the feeder and then collect the bird seed from the ground.

"This is the first time a bear has reached the feeders," the homeowner wrote.

You can view the video at Newsflare.com.

(UPI - Oct 27, 2016)