Bears sunbathe at homes, help themselves to snacks
It's summertime, and the living is easy in California! Especially, if you are a bear in the Tahoe area.
The snow has melted and the bears are waking up in the Tahoe area. A family of bears visited Kelly Hurds' Tahoe home Wednesday afternoon.
Hurd said her backyard has turned into a bear hang out. Several days ago, she snapped a picture of one of the bears sunbathing on her neighbor's shed.
"That's mama bear. She broke through the fence a last week," Hurd said.
El Dorado County Sheriff Deputy John D'Agostini said he's gotten calls about bear sightings almost every day.
"We feel more like game wardens than sheriffs because of the volume of bear calls," D'Agostini said. "Once a bear gets a taste of garbage or human food they frequently come back to the same spot."
On Tuesday, the sheriff’s department posted a video of deputies scaring a family of bears out of a garage. A mom's cubs were helping themselves to frozen fish sticks in the freezer.
"We carry these special shot guns that shoot beanbag rounds," D'Agostini said. The weapons are non-lethal shot guns that bears have learned to fear. Often just cocking the gun scares off the bears.
Bears are just waking up from hibernation this time of year and they are after an easy meal. Garbage or food left in cars and garages are easy targets, according to D'Agostini. Many homes in the Tahoe area are now equipped with thick metal bear-proof garbage receptacles.
Deputies are asking Tahoe visitors to keep food inside homes or storing trash in bear-proof trash holders.