Tahoe Bears Not Hibernating This Winter
Posted on January 15, 2014
Bears in the Tahoe Basin are not hibernating this Winter due to the mild conditions. A bear was recently seen bounding across a ski slope at the Heavenly Mountain Resort. The USDA says Black Bears are the only species of bear in California and Nevada. The USDA says the Black Bears "often hibernate in large hollow trees 40 to 50 feet off the ground." This winter has been mild enough that at least some of the bears have not gone into hibernation.
Easy access to garbage is another reason some bears bears aren't hibernating. Why hibernate if food is still easily found? NBC News also says the Nevada Department of Wildlife estimates that there are 400 to 700 bears in Nevada, with 40% of them in the Lake Tahoe region.
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