This bear was attracted to our front porch because of my error in judgement, not his aggressive nature. But my error could have gotten him killed.
I left my bird feeders out ~ it was one of those long days ~ I was tired and I thought “the feeders are empty. They won’t attract any animals roaming at night.”
As evidenced by the HUGE bear that visited my porch that evening , yeah, I was wrong.
The bear was a perfect gentleman. But had he repeatedly come back to our porch searching- and become a nuisance - park rangers may have had to euthanize him. Once a bear has been fed in a certain location , they often claim that location for themselves. Bears don’t see human occupants as having more rights to their favorite dining area just because we hold a lease or title.
They’re bears. They figure “I’m bigger. This area is mine.”
Luckily our bear was smarter than the average bear. No good food, and people = not worth it. He hasn’t returned. Although I’m bummed to not see him, I’m glad he’s safe.
The moral of this story is - whether you live near wildlife or you’re just visiting- keep animals safe. Even if you are not afraid of them , which may not be healthy for you, be afraid of what might happen to them. Don’t leave food, or remnants of food, where wild animals might smell it and be tempted to seek the source of the smell. Often we are more dangerous to them, than they are to us.
Often overlooked acts people do that can attract bears:
1. Leaving windows rolled down in your car- bears often investigate.
2. Empty sources of food like bird feeders or human food wrappers should be in doors when people are not about. Day or Night.
3. BEARS CAN OPEN DOORS
Lock doors to garages, sheds, etc., and especially homes
4. When camping your car is not a bear box. Get a proper bear box with a lock. These boxes keep smells in and reduce the chances of bears coming to scavenge our leftovers.
5. If you see a bear don’t run- this triggers their chase instinct as only food runs away. If the bear doesn’t notice you gently walk away. If they do, make yourself large and loud and get to safety.
Keep yourself and wildlife safe. 🙂
0 Comments