SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — Bears have long been known to enter garbage cans and dumpsters, but some South Lake Tahoe residents are wondering if there’s any point in setting up a bear box since bears have found a way to get into them, too.
“They know how to put their hands in and open the locks. The same goes for cars,” said Robert Hinde, a South Lake Tahoe resident.
The bear box is a large metal container used to store garbage or food out of reach of bears.
Hinde said he has lived in South Lake Tahoe for 25 years and does not have a bear toilet because it seems like they are learning how to get in there anyway.
“They’ve learned. They’re getting a little more involved in things. They’ve learned how to get into cars and dumpsters and stuff like that. It’s kind of funny to watch them do it. They’ve learned,” Hinde said.
Ann Bryant, director of the Bear League, said this has actually been happening for years.
“We had one case where a mother bear was teaching her little cub how to reach into the mechanism because it was too small for her hand. However, the cub’s hand fit in and they were able to flip the switch,” Bryant said.
Bryant said years ago bears couldn’t open a jar of peanut butter, but now she has seen them do it. She said Bears are constantly adapting to what humans are doing and fear that we may not be able to keep up.
“They develop faster than we do because we are there to give them the tools to learn from mistakes,” Bryant said.
Peter Tira of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said that as fall approaches, bears will be searching for food more than usual.
“Bears have a kind of biological instinct in the fall that really kicks in when their body and their brain tell them that winter is coming, that lean times are coming and we need to put on fat for the winter,” Tira said.
Hinde said that there are usually no problems if the bear boxes are properly closed and the garbage is put away.
“In most cases they are harmless. Be careful and stay away from them. They are usually fine,” Hinde said.
If a bear does end up in your bear box, Bryant says you should contact the retailer where you purchased the bear to see if it might be a manufacturing problem.
