Estes Valley Bear Education Task Force

10/12/2018

Grand Teton National Park officials killed a black bear this week after tourists fed it fruit from their cars.

08/24/2018

02/25/2018

If you have 20 minutes this is a great documentary of how the Bow Valley community in Canada is coexisting with Wildlife. There a many parallels to the Estes Valley including wildlife conflict, a National Park nearby and the ever increasing visitation to the area. Maybe we can learn some trips and tricks from Bow Valley to keep our bears safe!

Canada’s Bow Valley has been living harmoniously with grizzly bears and other wildlife for the the past 20 years.

02/10/2018

https://durangoherald.com/articles/208050-cubs-orphaned-after-mother-was-euthanized-returning-to-wild =3

DENVER – Orphan bear triplets, banished from Colorado Springs’ swank Broadmoor neighborhood for eating human food, have spent seven months in...

02/09/2018

02/02/2018

Some good news to start your Friday morning! Bears, pupfish and condors Oh My!

Five ways science is finding unexpected resilience in animals.

01/17/2018

The bears of McNeil Sanctuary, Alaska.

In the McNeil River Sanctuary, bears and humans have learned to share the landscape.

01/06/2018

A yearling female with severe mange saved in California. Mange is caused by mites that burrow into the skin of animals. This is seen mainly in foxes and coyotes in our area. The scratching that results from the itching is the main reason the hair falls out and can result in scabbing and other infections. She has many months of treatment ahead but with time her hair will grow back and she will be released back into the wild!

There is an amazing story of survival thanks to volunteers up and down the state of California.

10/09/2017

10/07/2017

SCIENCE FRIDAY ARE BEARS STILL ACTIVE?
Rocky has a small population of Black bears (no grizzlies). In fall bears are extremely active, the time for hyperphagia when bears need to consume up to 20,000 calories per day to prepare for hibernation. The average human man needs 2,500 calories/day, and the average woman needs 2,000. That means in fall Black bears need up to 10 times the amount of calories per day! Bears can be active any time of day or night.
How far away do smells carry for you? Maybe the smell of strong coffee or baking pie can fill your house, but they don’t carry really far, do they? Black bears can smell food five miles away! Their memories are sharp, and they can remember all the places they’ve located food previously.
Black Bears are omnivores, which means they will eat most anything organic, including berries, leaves, twigs, nuts, roots, flowers, ants, grubs, bees, fish, and small mammals, though they are not usually big hunters. Keep in mind that anything scented is considered a food item by a bear, including food, drinks, toiletries (even toothpaste, deodorant, and lip balm), cosmetics, pet food and bowls, odoriferous attractants, medications, and garbage.
Don’t be the cause of bears losing their natural fear of humans, for them looking to human places for food. Don’t attract wildlife, including black bears, to campsites because of improperly stored food items. It is also smart to not leave food unattended in vehicles.
More about Black bears https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/nature/black_bears.htm
More about proper food storage at Rocky campgrounds and trailheads https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/food-storage-at-campgrounds-and-trailheads.htm
(Black bear NPS/VIP Schonlau) ks

09/08/2017

09/01/2017

Do you have any fruit trees? Fruit trees in this area are not a natural source of food for bears. Fruit trees are primarily located in urban areas and will draw bears and other wildlife in. This can be dangerous for both bears and humans. Ideally you should trim trees of all fruit to remove the attractant completely. If that isn't an option be diligent about cleaning fallen fruit immediately and harvesting ripe fruit promptly.

Many have suggested allowing bears to eat domestic fruit (if there is any) in this bad natural food year. Here are some quick thoughts:

Domestic fruit has always been a tough, or delicate, issue as many residents see apples, etc as natural food for bears, which it isn’t. Domestic fruit is a bear attractant that lures bears near people and homes and a human food source same as trash, chickens, compost, dog food, etc.

Many think bears getting into domestic fruit as being benign - until they have tree, fence and other property damage and bears lingering in yards. Then they want the “nuisance” bear dealt with, often lethally.

Research in Lake Tahoe revealed that bears utilizing human foods:
- Can be 30% larger than their wild brethren
- Have larger litter sizes, (which results in unsustainable and artificial bear populations)
- Suffer increased human-caused (nuisance removal and vehicle) mortality

Thus, human foods, including domestic fruit, lead to short-term nutritional gains (source), but also increased human-caused mortality (sink) and loss to local bear populations.

Despite common notion, even in a bad natural food year, in the end - bears accessing fruit is not of benefit to bears.