The California Department of Fish and Wildlife wants to kill a 500-pound bear responsible for damaging 38 homes and prompting more than 150 phone calls, CBS13 Sacramento reported Wednesday.
State wildlife officials said killing the bear, who lives near homes in the Tahoe Keys community in South Lake Tahoe, is the only choice, according to CBS13 reported. They set out large traps for the bear, though it has reportedly not been caught so far. (RELATED: Florida Man Springs Into Action, Wrestles A Huge Bear To Protect His Wife And Dogs)
Community, Wildlife Experts At Odds Over Colossal Bear That Breaks Into Tahoe Keys Homes https://t.co/MgqtA1J3Qo pic.twitter.com/yd925bi9Av
— CBS Sacramento CBS13 (@CBSSacramento) February 16, 2022
“He’s always lived his life in that area,” Ann Bryan with Bear League told CBS13. “He’s a well-known local.”
“We don’t want anybody to get hurt. Nobody wants that,” Bryan added. “We don’t want the bear to die either.”
The Bear League expressed opposition to killing the bear, calling it cruel and unnecessary, according to CBS13. There has also been backlash from the community, according to the outlet.
“It’s how the community feels,” Bryan said. “They do not want the bear to pay the price for human ignorance. So when a bear is set to die in their community, people take a stand.”
Relocating the bear won’t work because it does not know how to hunt, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said, according to the outlet. Bryan reportedly agreed with the department, saying that bears “usually die a horrible death trying to survive after relocation.”
The Bear League has suggested moving the animal to an out-of-state wildlife sanctuary as well as recommended for residents to bear-proof their homes.