Keep the Wild in Wildlife

by Michele Oksen

Even if they were chocolate covered, termites in a tree stump don't sound like a tasty treat to you or me, but to a black bear they're worth clawing for. As easily as a two-fisted toddler might tear into a birthday cake, a bear's giant claws scratch off hunks of trunk and dig in. And, that's a good thing.

We want bears to prefer what's available in nature such as bugs, berries, acorns, honeycombs, small mammals, and such. The problem? Bears don't discern between tree trunks full of termites, ice chests packed with perishables, or garbage cans crammed with trash. They may have their favored foods, but when it comes to hunger — insects, potato salad, or scraps — whatever is handiest, they're happy to consider it a feast.

Life in black bear country, such as these Santa Lucia Mountains, the backcountry of Cambria, is sure to delight, and sometimes dismay, the wildlife lover. While compassion for the hungry is a human strong suit, it can also create complicated situations. To feed or not to feed, that is the quandary.

To feed wild animals is to attract them. That's the idea, right? To bait the birds, the deer, and whatever type of animal someone might be fascinated by is to marvel at the natural world and maximize one's wilderness experience. That is, until the plan goes awry. While some wildlife experts insist that a fed bear is a dead bear, which means, it will have to be killed in order to end its voracious appetite for people or pet food. Others say woodland feed stations, such as troughs full of sunflower seeds, actually prevent bears from sniffing out groceries inside dwellings, whether canvas tents or timbered Tudors.

The reasoning behind remote feed stations is supposedly to keep bears from associating people with food. However, to provide fast food — no matter how far from a human home it may be — is still to promote dependency, as does outright feeding. Even inadvertent feeding teaches bears that campsites and cabins are easy "rob and run" convenience stores.

On the other paw, if a bear has never once tasted trail mix or Trix, and — this is important — it fears people, it's not likely to plod into camp and pound his fists on the picnic table or peel back the siding of a trailer as effortlessly as a pop top on a can of Pringles. If a bear has ever chowed down on a buffet of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, crackers, cheese, or cold cuts, well then, that bear is not much different than an addict. And, addicts generally stop at nothing to get a fix.

Is there a solution, a way to keep danger from wrestling with the dog, breaking in the window, raiding the pantry, vandalizing the refrigerator, or worse? Yes. Avoid feeding them. Ever.

While you're at it, check with the Department of Fish and Game to learn safe ways to scare them away. To feed is not to tame. It is to endanger. It puts the animal and those in its path at risk.  Adult female black bears may weigh one hundred to two-hundred pounds and males typically one-hundred-fifty to three-hundred-fifty pounds, though it's not unheard of for a male black bear to weigh in at five-hundred pounds, or more. We're not dealing with Pooh Bear, Yogi, Gentle Ben, or Smokey here. We're contending with an animal that has the potential to injure or kill. In order to stay out of trouble with intelligent black bears, the best strategy is to prevent them from connecting man with their meals. Let's keep the wild in wildlife.

Photos Used Here Courtesy of the Fabulously Talented Cleve Nash. See Larger Versions Here

Editor's Comment: There was a lot of speculation on how the bear arrived at the Rock. According to Vince Cicero of State Parks, this bear was originally spotted in Avila, then Point Buchon on Tuesday. It raided the garbage at Camp Keep in Montana de Oro, wandered down the ocean side of the sandspit - where he dug holes in the sand, then swam the channel to the Rock. Richard Hannibal tells you the rest of the story next.

Bear Abstract By Richard Hannibal

On Thursday, 5-9-13, about 6:15 pm, the area of Morro Rock was filled with the usual surfers, locals, and tourists. One tourist appeared that was not especially welcome. It came in the form of a 250 – 300 pound black bear. To the horror of some — and the delight of others — the bear casually walked along the trail adjacent to the outfall canal fence and up onto the rocks at the water's edge. This resulted in the Morro Bay Police Communications Center being inundated with 911 calls. There was a multi-agency response from the Morro Bay Police Department, Morro Bay Fire Department, Morro Bay Harbor Patrol, California State Parks, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and San Luis Obispo Animal Control. At the nearby Morro Bay High School, students were allowed to attend their classes, but were restricted to the campus until the danger passed.

Old-time locals could not recall a time when this has happened.

The bear wandered back and forth in the area and reports indicate it even took a short nap. The adventure ended with the bear being tranquilized and examined at the scene. It did not appear sick or injured. Morro Bay Firefighters used a sling to carry the bear to the nearby parking lot where it was loaded into a truck, moved to a more appropriate environment, and released.

From Michele

I would like to give a big thank-you to Cleve Nash for generously giving me permission (through Richard Hannibal) to use his bear photos. These fabulous photos enrich the piece tremendously! Thanks so much.

Banner Image by Fugle