Big conflict bear captured in South Lake Tahoe and headed to sanctuary, cubs going to rehab
Submitted by Jaedyn Young on Sat, 08/05/2023 - 3:46am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Wildlife biologists for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) this morning safely immobilized a large female conflict bear responsible for at least 21 DNA-confirmed home break-ins and extensive property damage in the South Lake Tahoe area since 2022. Her three cubs were also captured in the effort.
One of the cubs was the one hit by a car on US50 on July 21 near Denny's, but it had been seen often throughout South Lake Tahoe eating, climbing, and walking. The injured cub will be given a thorough veterinary evaluation before heading to a rehabilitation facility in Sonoma County with the other two cubs.
The capture happened in the Silverwood neighborhood of South Lake Tahoe. The Bear League said they received several calls from the public when they heard the crying from one of the cubs that had gone up a tree as its mother and siblings were being captured. One of the League's volunteers went to investigate and saw the CDFW team there.
Pending a successful veterinary check, CDFW has secured permission from the State of Colorado to transport the female black bear, known as 64F, and place it with The Wild Animal Sanctuary near Springfield, Colorado, which has agreed to care for it in its expansive facilities. This large black bear is one of the multiple bears identified by the public last year as “Hank the Tank” based on visual observations, said CDFW.
"I think this is the best outcome for both the community and for that bear family," said Toogee Sielsch, South Lake Tahoe urbanized black bear expert. "Her behavior has been off the charts and her cubs were being indoctrinated into becoming future conflict bears under her tutelage."
The cubs were born at the beginning of February under a house near the lake in South Lake Tahoe, and since then they've been covering the area from the Tahoe Keys to Silverwood and around the Trout Creek area.
"We've known this bear has been in several homes, mostly soft entries, some break-ins, they [CDFW] slated her with a "death sentence' as a conflict bear," said Ann Bryant, executive director of the Bear League. Bryant said they meet weekly with CDFW and told the agency the League didn't want any bears killed and asked for another solution.
"We are thrilled, so proud of our Department of Wildlife, they've been amazing," said Bryant. "We are 100 percent behind the department in their ability to have baby bears safe - the whole family is safe and we are happy."
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has the authority to approve only one such placement and is using that authorization for this bear. Relocation is not typically an option for conflict animals over concern that relocating an animal will relocate the conflict behavior to a different community. However, given the widespread interest in this bear, and the significant risk of a serious incident involving the bear, CDFW is employing an alternative solution to safeguard the bear family as well as the people in the South Lake Tahoe Community.
The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado is the same one the Bear League tried to get as a home for "Hank the Tank" if he was captured.
The sow's three young cubs, which have accompanied the bear on recent home break-ins, will potentially be relocated to Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue, a CDFW-permitted wildlife rehabilitation facility in Petaluma in hopes they can discontinue the negative behaviors they learned from the sow and can be returned to the wild. All three cubs were given a health assessment in the field before transfer and will receive an additional examination at the facility.
The momma bear, Bear 64F, has been monitored closely by CDFW since 2022. In March of 2023, she was discovered denning under a residence in South Lake Tahoe along with her three male cubs of the year. Staff from CDFW and the Nevada Department of Wildlife immobilized the bear, collected DNA evidence, attached an ear tag, and affixed a satellite tracking collar to the bear. Staff also implanted Passive Integrated Transponders, known as PIT tags, into the cubs for future identification. The PIT tags contain a microchip similar to what’s implanted into pet dogs and cats for identification.
Bear 64F shed the satellite tracking collar in May. The bear’s DNA, however, has been confirmed at 21 home invasions in the South Lake Tahoe area between February 2022 and May 2023 with the bear suspected in additional break-ins and property damage.
CDFW’s updated Black Bear Policy, released in February 2022, allows for the placement and relocation of conflict bears in limited circumstances when other management options have been exhausted and as an alternative to lethal actions.
This serves as a good reminder that windows and doors need to be locked when not at home, as well as windows and doors of vehicles. Unsecured entrances are a welcome sign to our smart black bears They are always looking for food.
"Bears are looking for food when awake, and dreaming about food when asleep," said Bryant.
For more information on living safely with bears, visit https://bearwise.org/.
