Black bears are coming out of hibernation and like the hungry and curious bear strolling around Naples last week shows, it’s time to be bear aware! For those finding places for camping, this is especially crucial. Wild Aware Utah shares that bears will eat almost anything. The likelihood of conflicts with bears increases during a drought year like this year when a bear’s normal food supply is decreased, leading them to seek alternate food sources. Bears have an amazing sense of smell, and they have no problem eating the same type of foods that people eat. As a result, many of the conflicts between people and bears happen because the bears start scavenging for food that humans are eating and cooking in the bear’s natural habitat. If a bear obtains food from a home or campsite even once it may become aggressive in future attempts. This almost guarantees the bear will have to be euthanized. To protect both you and the bear, dispose of trash carefully, keep a very clean camp, never keep food/drinks/or scented items in your tent. For more tips, visit WildAwareUtah.org/wildlife/bears.
