A bear bulking up for winter followed a Tahoe man right into his home
Autumn is the time of year when there are bears Really They start thinking with their stomachs.
Some double their weight to prepare for hibernation, often searching for calories for up to 20 hours a day. This feeding frenzy, called hyperphagia, drives them away from their usual range and into neighborhood dumpsters in search of easy meals.
That instinct led a hungry black bear to a home in South Lake Tahoe, across the Nevada border, surprising an 87-year-old man who had broken into his garage for firewood before sunrise Wednesday.
“The man retreated back into his home, and as he did so the bear attacked him and scratched his hand. The bear then followed him into the home,” said Ashley Zeme, a spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
Moments later, the confused bear darted outside after the couple’s grandson opened the doors and windows to create an exit, before scratching the homeowner’s wife. Both citizens, who were slightly injured, were treated at the hospital and discharged.
Zeme said the incident was a rare spike but still an example of how hyperphagia is reshaping bear behavior in the region.
“During hyperphagia, a bear is more likely to enter a home,” he said, noting that bears seek out a staggering 20,000 to 25,000 calories a day as winter approaches. “In the wild, they try to accumulate calories through fruits and insects. But when they encounter garbage in a neighborhood, they find all the calories they need in one spot.”
The best way to prevent bear encounters is to secure garbage and eliminate temptations such as bird feeders, pet food, coolers and barbecue grills, he said.
Hyperphagia usually lasts from August to November. During this period, bears significantly expand their search radius and often move deeper into populated areas. According to wildlife officials, the bear tends to return when it finds an easy reward and is becoming increasingly bold. The hyperphagia coincides with an increase in reports of trash raids, break-ins and, less frequently, incidents Wednesday in the Tahoe Basin, where bears have long learned that residents and vacationers bring dense, reliable calories.
“Once they get a food reward every time they go to a neighborhood, they will keep coming back for more,” Zeme said. “They have good memories and are smart.”
Zeme emphasized that in this case, the bear looked confused and frightened, not predatory.
“This is not normal territory for a bear,” he said. “They’re not used to being in homes or garages. The bear was probably confused, scared. Who knows what it was. But it wasn’t normal.”
Nearly 90 percent of bear-related incidents involve unsecured garbage, so residents of bear-prone areas are advised to lock garbage and food in wildlife-proof containers and avoid leaving bags outside, wildlife officials said. He also recommends that locals avoid putting food in vehicles, lock doors and windows, and use electric fencing to protect beehives and chicken coops.
“We always see more bear activity around this time of year,” Zeme said. “Securing attractants is the best way to keep them away.”
