Police department inundated with 911 calls for bear sightings: Why more bears on the move
AUBURN – The Auburn Police Department is dealing with an unusual amount of 911 calls.
It has nothing to do with an uptick in crime. Instead, multiple people are calling to report bear sightings around town.
"I think it's fascinating," Shannon McIntyre said.
Fascinating, yes. An emergency? Not according to police.
On social media, it wrote there is a cub running around the Auburn Ravine and Elm area and, most likely, a protective mother is not far behind.
Still, the sightings have not stopped people from inundating dispatchers.
On Saturday, viewer Maria Tarrant shared a sighting while by Folsom Lake near Granite Bay.
"We were just kind of moving along and we thought it was a tree stump," she said.
But as her family got closer, they described seeing a young bear.
The Folsom State Recreation Area told CBS13 black bears do venture down to lake level from the foothills.
The reason?
The BEAR League said the wildlife encounters partly stem from wildfires.
However, foraging for food is the main reason.
"I can just see it happening more and more and more. It's best to nip it right now," said Ann Bryant, executive director.
According to the group, remove sources of food such as bird feeders, livestock feed, pet food, and trash.
The BEAR League believes it may be worthwhile to have the conversation about bear bins in communities at lower elevation levels.
Secondly, do not allow bears to feel welcome.
Yelling from a safe distance usually does the trick, Bryant said.
"If it looks abnormal, they're not really going to bother you," Danielle Sotomayor said. "For the most part, they don't want to hurt you."
Unlike the Sierra, the valley can be hotter and drier with varying water supply. Could the arid climate pose a threat to bears or would they learn how to adapt?
"Well, they do adapt," Bryant said. "You got to remember there are black bears in Florida."