Wildfires Disrupt Bears in the Wild, and Sometimes Bears Disrupt Civilization

Not surprisingly, we are hearing stories of how the California wildfires are impacting the wildlife. Recently it was UPI's story of the bear cub, dubbed Lil' Smokey, who was left orphaned and partially burned, before being rescued by a California forester. The cub is now residing at the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care facility, where he will be prepared to be reintroduced to the wilds.

On the other side of the continent there is a different kind of bear tale, one where a black bear was shot and killed after wandering into a Bangor, Maine neighborhood, as reported in Bangor News. And, in Yellowstone National Park, CBS News tells of a man who recently survived a bear attack.

Bears are large mammals, and potentially dangerous animals. In spite of this fact, it's not uncommon to see campers foolishly hand feeding a begging campsite bear, while a family member stands by, ready to snap a picture. And while I might smugly claim to never underestimate the power of a bear, there was a time I was much more cavalier.

It was 1988, and we called it the Year of the Bear, in Wrightwood California. This was the year Wrightwood logged the most bear calls for the state. Bear sightings and encounters were commonplace, and while we in the village understood the potential danger, the stories amused us. Unfortunately, the ending was not always happy for some of the bears involved. (Reference: Wrightwood Magazine, 1989, Robeth Publishing)

One friend, a housepainter, was standing on a ladder, leaning against a house. Suddenly the ladder began to shake, and the painter assumed it was his partner, making a lame attempt at humor. He glanced down to yell at his buddy, only to discover a bear climbing up the ladder. He quickly scrambled onto the roof, abandoned the ladder and the bear was chased away by others on the ground.

Another friend found a bear sitting at her kitchen table, stuffing chocolate cupcakes in its mouth. One resident reported a bear hopped through her open window, to snatch a roast that was cooling on the counter. And I recall one local businessman who was forced to climb out the window of his home, as an intruding bear was blocking his front door.

Most of the stories provided a chuckle, but we felt sorry for the bear who was shot, after being found gulping down live chickens from a local chicken coop, or another bear, who was relocated to Strawberry Peak, yet returned to Wrightwood to continue his pillaging. He too was shot.

Personally, I only encountered one bear (other than spotting one in a treetop on our street). I was walking our two children to summer swimming lessons, at a nearby church camp. We walked by a cabin, and there was a bear, napping by the front door. We continued on our way, stepping around the creature, careful not to wake him up.

Looking back, we should have been terrified. But, I suppose that's what happens to people when unusual or dangerous circumstances become everyday occurrences.

Sources:

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/07/20/Firefighter_saves_burned_bear_cub/UPI-74551216582701/

http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=167353&zoneid=500

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/21/earlyshow/main4276815.shtml