Barbecue-loving bears are in search of food. California officials want you to prepare
Officials want you to prepare for hungry, barbecue-loving bears searching for food.
Bears can’t get enough food before the winter, and they’re searching in unusual places for it. They’re entering hyperphagia, a period before hibernation when they need to eat 20,000 calories or more each day.
Trying to devour that many calories in a day has them scouring barbecues, picnic tables and even people’s homes searching for food — and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife wants you to be ready for them.
“Green grasses have dried up and berries haven’t quite ripened for eating yet, causing black bears to move around more in search of easy food,” officials said in an Aug. 16 news release. “This means there is a lot to think about when living, visiting, or recreating in the Lake Tahoe Basin this time of year.”
Tourists shouldn’t leave any food unattended, and they should always remove all garbage from the outdoors before leaving an area. Leftover, obvious food sources, however, aren’t the only problem for bears.
“Bears love barbecues,” officials said. “If you have used a barbecue, grease and food bits left on the grill could be a tasty snack for a hungry bear.”
People who use a grill or barbecue should keep it on for about 10 minutes to burn off any food scraps, officials said. That’ll help make the grill less appealing to any passing bears.
Officials said you can help minimize your chances of attracting a bear by following these tips:
Never feed wildlife: It brings animals in conflict with people and attracts them into homes and neighborhoods.
Store all garbage in bear-resistant containers or bear boxes.
Never leave groceries, animal feed or garbage in cars, campsites or tents.
Lock your car and close all the windows. Anything with an odor can attract a bear.
Keep barbecues clean and stored away when they’re not in use.
Keep door and windows locked in your home when it’s empty.
Use electric fences on gardens, fruit trees and compost piles.
Store food, drinks and toiletries in bear-resistant containers while camping.
Give wildlife space.
If you see a bear and can’t scare it away, let wildlife officials know immediately. Call 911 if you are in a residential area.
“The point is this: It is neither natural nor healthy for bears to forage on human food and garbage,” officials said. “This can damage their claws, teeth, and digestive systems. Whether intentional or not, it is illegal to feed bears.”
This story was originally published August 22, 2022 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Barbecue-loving bears are in search of food. California officials want you to prepare."