Name: Black bears react to mock camping scene at Oakland Zoo
Uploaded: 2022-06-28T17:22:23+00:00
Duration: 56 s
Description: The sun’s out this summer and so are American black bears! In most cases, black bears are not a threat to people, yet we need the public's help to keep bears wild and people safe. The most common caus

3 years ago

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black bears oakland zoo caught on camera camping camp ground black bear black bears playing fish wildlife u.s. nature

The sun’s out this summer and so are American black bears! In most cases, black bears are not a threat to people, yet we need the public's help to keep bears wild and people safe. The most common causes of human-bear conflicts involve unsecured attractants, such as garbage and human food.
Most black bear conflicts can be avoided by practicing basic bear safety guidelines:
Hike in groups
Be mindful where you set up camp
Keep your camp clean
Store food and waste in a bear resistant place
For more tips, visit the link in our story
To show what happens at a campsite that isn’t bear-proof, we partnered with Oakland Zoo in California which set up a mock camping scene in its American black bear habitat and filmed the bears’ response. These American black bears were brought to Oakland Zoo as a result of the most common threat these animals face—human-wildlife conflict.
The mother sow, Cambria, and her cubs became "habituated” to humans, often wandering the Pine Mountain Country Club area of Kern County, California in search of food. A habituated bear loses its natural fear of people, usually as a result of access to improperly stored human food and garbage, which becomes addicting. These bears can become increasingly bold in their behavior, causing property damage and potential harm to people.
In June 2017, this habituated family of bears brazenly entered a home, and Cambria inflicted a non-lethal injury on the homeowner who was trying to chase them out. Per state policy, Cambria was deemed a public safety threat.
This bear family was fortunately provided a permanent home by Oakland Zoo. Sadly, many similar scenarios don’t end this way for habituated bears.
When proper bear safety is not followed and attractants are not stored properly, bears can become habituated to people and must sometimes be euthanized to protect human safety.
It’s up to all of us to be bear aware and follow precautions to keep people safe and bears wild.
When traveling in bear country and public lands, keep alert and enjoy the opportunity to see these magnificent animals in their natural habitat. Learn how to BEAR-ware in black bear country: https://www.fws.gov/story/2022-06/how-be-bear-aware-black-bear-country
Video courtesy of Oakland Zoo
For audio-described version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_V1d78LmXc
Music credit: Mary Riddle/Join the Circus /courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
https://www.fws.gov
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the oldest federal conservation agency, tracing its lineage back to 1871, and the only agency in the federal government whose primary responsibility is management of fish and wildlife for the American public. The Service helps ensure a healthy environment for people by providing opportunities for Americans to enjoy the outdoors and our shared natural heritage.
We manage the National Wildlife Refuge System with more than 560 National Wildlife Refuges as well as small wetlands and other special management areas encompassing more than 150 million acres. Under the Fisheries program we also operate over 70 National Fish Hatcheries and 65 fishery resource offices. The Ecological Services program has 86 field stations across all 50 states.
The vast majority of fish and wildlife habitat is on non-federal lands. Voluntary habitat protection and restoration programs like the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and the Coastal Program and other partnership programs are the primary ways we deliver habitat conservation on public and private lands.
The Service employs approximately 9,000 people at facilities across the U.S. The Service is a decentralized organization with a headquarters office in Washington, D.C., with regional and field offices across the country. Our organizational chart shows structure and also provides information on senior management.