Living in Bear Country

Residents bringing unwanted negative consequences to hungry bears

By Jesse Horn

07/22/09

When a local resident saw that a bear was on her neighborhood street, she immediately ran inside to her husband and they made a call to Game and Fish. They knew there were children nearby, and that they can be powerful and potentially deadly animals. According to the resident, Game and Fish responded with criticism, citing that she should have yelled at the animal and attempted to frighten it away rather than leave. It was also noted that the animal had a red tag in its ear, to which the caller was told meant that the bear had already been removed from a populated area, and now would have to be put down. As harsh as this all sounds, there is some information that may shed some light on this.

In 1996, a 16-year-old Arizona girl named Anna Knochel was attacked by a black bear while camping at a U.S. Forest Service campground. Anna received serious injuries to her right leg and scalp while inside her tent during a 4-H campout. Although she has since recovered, her family filed a $15 million lawsuit against, and eventually settled out of court with the State of Arizona for $2.5 million. The family had charged that Game and Fish had, according to their records, known that the bear was dangerous because it had been involved in a Brownie Girl Scout incident and moved 9 miles away. However, the same bear returned to the area only two days later.

The 1996 attack prompted major change in how the Game and Fish deal with bears currently. We spoke to Wildlife Manager Evan Lautzenheiser from Game and Fish about recent bear activity and what we should do.

“We do not discourage harassing bears where people are,” Mr. Lautzenheiser explained. “The fact is we want bears to get the idea that when people are around it is not a good thing.” Mr. Lautzenheiser continued to explain that in the wild, bears only have larger bears to be threatened by. Therefore, when they get into a situation where they are no longer threatened, and they have meals available, they can become complacent.

“In most circumstances a bear’s first reaction to a situation is evasive action. You find them running away or up a tree. Their first concern is to get away, or escape,” he continued. “They need to get the idea that they should not be around people.”

Bears are found in most wooded areas in Arizona, and black bears are generally characterized as being shy, secretive and curious, intelligent and exploratory. According to Game and Fish, black bears are generally active in the early morning and late evening. However, they may alter their patterns based on available sources of food. This means that they may turn to be more nocturnal at campgrounds and dump sites. Nuisance activities are nearly always associated with artificial food sources (beehives, campgrounds, and livestock).

One contributing factor to the bear that had entered our local neighborhood recently was a temporary resident that was putting out watermelon so as to attract “wildlife”. As quaint as it is to see animals in a wild setting, inspiring them to come into populated areas is something that is not only potentially dangerous, it is also extremely unfair.

The question was raised as to why the bears must be destroyed if they return and not just removed, to which Mr. Lautzenheiser explained that policy has become extremely strict.

“We have an 80% return rate on the bears. We had an incident in Showlow where the bear was relocated as far as 85 miles away. It was back in two days. Relocating is not the answer.” Now policy dictates that finding a male bear in a human populated area results in death of the animal. Mother bears and cubs are given a chance at relocation, and the animals are tagged and information about the animal is logged. If it returns to a populated area, then it too will be destroyed.

“Food is a real issue. Garbage cans will sometimes sit on the side of the road for a couple of days when someone is leaving for the week, and a bear will find it a smorgasbord.”

Mr. Lautzenheiser suggested that people make precautionary steps to ensure that they do not unintentionally invite wild animals to their homes or neighborhoods.

-Store household trash in a secure location such as a garage, shed or bear proof container.

-Put household trash out the morning of collection; never the night before.

-Clean your trash container regularly.

-Get a neighbor to help put out your garbage for you if you are going to be away.

-Don’t leave out food for animals to find.

-If you hear of a bear in your area or see a yellow Game and Fish sign that says “Advisory – Bear Frequenting Area,” then you must immediately take all necessary precautions to prevent attracting a bear, including securing all trash, bird and squirrel feeders, and any other potential food attractant.

-Do not attempt to frighten a bear that is cornered, it will defend itself if it is threatened and unable to easily escape.

Black bears are generally solitary animals, except for those who are in family groups, such as mothers with cubs, and those who are gathering together at a common feeding area. They are known to move long distances (100 miles) to exploit isolated pockets of food. The mobility of black bears sometimes leads them to appear in uncharacteristic habitats and to return from long distances after being moved. Most Arizona black bears hibernate from November through March, during which time they reduce body temperature, heart rate, and metabolic function, while still remaining somewhat alert in the winter den. It is important to note that we live in bear country, and that safety should always be a priority. If you have any question about our local bears and bear population, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/game_bear.shtml or call their office at (928) 367-4281


	Living in Bear Country Residents bringing unwanted negative consequences to hungry bears By Jesse Horn 07/22/09 When a local resident saw that a bear was on her neighborhood street, she immediately ran inside to her husband and they made a call to Game and Fish. They knew there were children nearby, and that they can be powerful and potentially deadly animals. According to the resident, Game and Fish responded with criticism, citing that she should have yelled at the animal and attempted to frighten it away rather than leave. It was also noted that the animal had a red tag in its ear, to which the caller was told meant that the bear had already been removed from a populated area, and now would have to be put down. As harsh as this all sounds, there is some information that may shed some light on this. In 1996, a 16-year-old Arizona girl named Anna Knochel was attacked by a black bear while camping at a U.S. Forest Service campground. Anna received serious injuries to her right leg and scalp while inside her tent during a 4-H campout. Although she has since recovered, her family filed a $15 million lawsuit against, and eventually settled out of court with the State of Arizona for $2.5 million. The family had charged that Game and Fish had, according to their records, known that the bear was dangerous because it had been involved in a Brownie Girl Scout incident and moved 9 miles away. However, the same bear returned to the area only two days later. The 1996 attack prompted major change in how the Game and Fish deal with bears currently. We spoke to Wildlife Manager Evan Lautzenheiser from Game and Fish about recent bear activity and what we should do. “We do not discourage harassing bears where people are,” Mr. Lautzenheiser explained. “The fact is we want bears to get the idea that when people are around it is not a good thing.” Mr. Lautzenheiser continued to explain that in the wild, bears only have larger bears to be threatened by. Therefore, when they get into a situation where they are no longer threatened, and they have meals available, they can become complacent. “In most circumstances a bear’s first reaction to a situation is evasive action. You find them running away or up a tree. Their first concern is to get away, or escape,” he continued. “They need to get the idea that they should not be around people.” Bears are found in most wooded areas in Arizona, and black bears are generally characterized as being shy, secretive and curious, intelligent and exploratory. According to Game and Fish, black bears are generally active in the early morning and late evening. However, they may alter their patterns based on available sources of food. This means that they may turn to be more nocturnal at campgrounds and dump sites. Nuisance activities are nearly always associated with artificial food sources (beehives, campgrounds, and livestock). One contributing factor to the bear that had entered our local neighborhood recently was a temporary resident that was putting out watermelon so as to attract “wildlife”. As quaint as it is to see animals in a wild setting, inspiring them to come into populated areas is something that is not only potentially dangerous, it is also extremely unfair. The question was raised as to why the bears must be destroyed if they return and not just removed, to which Mr. Lautzenheiser explained that policy has become extremely strict. “We have an 80% return rate on the bears. We had an incident in Showlow where the bear was relocated as far as 85 miles away. It was back in two days. Relocating is not the answer.” Now policy dictates that finding a male bear in a human populated area results in death of the animal. Mother bears and cubs are given a chance at relocation, and the animals are tagged and information about the animal is logged. If it returns to a populated area, then it too will be destroyed. “Food is a real issue. Garbage cans will sometimes sit on the side of the road for a couple of days when someone is leaving for the week, and a bear will find it a smorgasbord.” Mr. Lautzenheiser suggested that people make precautionary steps to ensure that they do not unintentionally invite wild animals to their homes or neighborhoods. -Store household trash in a secure location such as a garage, shed or bear proof container. -Put household trash out the morning of collection; never the night before. -Clean your trash container regularly. -Get a neighbor to help put out your garbage for you if you are going to be away. -Don’t leave out food for animals to find. -If you hear of a bear in your area or see a yellow Game and Fish sign that says “Advisory – Bear Frequenting Area,” then you must immediately take all necessary precautions to prevent attracting a bear, including securing all trash, bird and squirrel feeders, and any other potential food attractant. -Do not attempt to frighten a bear that is cornered, it will defend itself if it is threatened and unable to easily escape. Black bears are generally solitary animals, except for those who are in family groups, such as mothers with cubs, and those who are gathering together at a common feeding area. They are known to move long distances (100 miles) to exploit isolated pockets of food. The mobility of black bears sometimes leads them to appear in uncharacteristic habitats and to return from long distances after being moved. Most Arizona black bears hibernate from November through March, during which time they reduce body temperature, heart rate, and metabolic function, while still remaining somewhat alert in the winter den. It is important to note that we live in bear country, and that safety should always be a priority. If you have any question about our local bears and bear population, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/game_bear.shtml or call their office at (928) 367-4281