A Black Bear Story

I leaped (read crept here, I haven't actually leaped in years) out of bed in high good humor this morning, a minor miracle as I've been sunk in the slough of despond for a couple of days. The girls have all gone home. After a week of sweet voices, communal cooking and cookie baking, deep bedtime conversations, excursions to the zoo and museums, teasing about boys, primping before mirrors, giggling into the small hours of the night, etc. the old house is quiet, very, very quiet ..baahhh..

The good news is that both my son and daughter-in-law both got their elk so the freezer will be full.

A friend called me last night and she had this story to tell:

Her sister Anne lives at Lake Tahoe, a beautiful mountain community that spans the border of California and Nevada. A couple of nights ago, Ann was alone in the house when she heard noises downstairs. She crept down to see a black bear at the refrigerator. He had both the refrigerator and freezer doors open and was happily eating everything he could find.

Panicked, she called 911 and was told that game and fish would have to be advised before officers would be dispatched to assist her. Eventually, she heard approaching sirens. So did the bear. Fully Alerted, he beat a hasty retreat and was not to be found anywhere outside.

They found that he'd forced the kitchen door for entry. The officers pointed out a bank of windows in the kitchen that look out on a forested area and aren't curtained. They told her that the black bears in Tahoe know about refrigerators, and if they can look through a window and see one, they come on in to investigate the contents. They helped her secure the broken door, and she cleaned up before returning to bed.

A few hours later, she was again awakened by noises emanating from the kitchen. Creeping down, she saw the same bear. This time, he was going through the cupboards eating away and happily washing his meal down with juice, honey and syrup. Another phone call.. This time the officers came right over, stealthily omitting sirens. As soon as the vehicles drove in, the bear left. Again, he was not to be found.

Apparently, the bears in Tahoe have found an easy way to prepare for winter! People in Tahoe have formed a bear league to help people live in harmony with the bears, and one of the things residents need to do is make sure the crawl space under their homes is secured as bears have demonstrated that crawl space makes a fine winter den. Talk about tippy-toeing around all winter! Shhhh don't wake the bear!

If you go hiking or camping, it's wise to know what to do to avoid confrontation with bears. I found lots of online advice.