Visitors headed to the Lake Tahoe Basin in California this summer and fall should take steps to exercise caution around bears, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“Make sure that food is stored properly and in designated locations and give a safe distance to wildlife,” Sequoia and Kings Canyon public affairs officer Holly Brown told The Epoch Times.
Black bears are the most prevalent type of bear in the California Sierra Nevada mountains. Ms. Brown said they don’t interact with human visitors very often.
But the most common problem hikers or campers may encounter with bears is related to food.
“If food isn’t stored properly, that’s how bears start to access it,” she said.
It is also important to bring a “bear-proof” ice chest, which means it must be able to be locked and sealed without any way for a bear to pry it open, the state department’s bear team said in the press release. The agency recommended putting the ice chest inside what’s known as a bear box, which is a sealed canister.
Visitors should keep scented items like lip balm, deodorant, and toothpaste inside bear boxes to avoid attracting wildlife, according to the agency.
Visitors are also urged to bring specialty items like bear spray and air horns or whistles to deter bears who get too close.
“Those noises will help scare a bear away to a safer distance and the noise will also warn fellow campers and hikers that a bear is nearby,” said Ms. Ronning, a scientist with the state wildlife department.
