Woman bear-ly escapes encounter, search called off for mother and cubs
Oct. 23, 2010
By Tiobe Barron, OVN correspondent
An employee at a ranch off Fairview Road in Ojai had an unexpected encounter with wildlife when he stumbled across a baby bear Oct. 12.
“He left it alone at first,” says Kim Stroud of the Ojai Raptor Center (ORC), a local organization which specializes in wildlife rehabilitation. Stroud says the employee, who wishes to remain unnamed, merely observed for three days, but when he could discover no evidence of a mother bear — like fresh scat or paw prints — he took the cub to the Raptor Center. ORC crew members examined the cub, a female they estimated was three months old and a mere ten pounds. Aside from being underweight and dehydrated, the cub was healthy and alert, according to Stroud, so the ORC called in the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to transport the cub to the only rehabilitation center in the state geared toward handling bears, located in Tahoe.
“Bear caging is really, really expensive,” explains Stroud. She said the cub will be cared for while it hibernates, and then will be placed in a den where she will awake in the wild near Tahoe.
“Bears are hard to rehabilitate. When they are very young, they can get too tame, and become problem animals,” says Stroud. “Exclusion is the best policy for urban wildlife.”
Andrew Hughan with the DFG corroborates this sentiment.
“We never want to interfere with bears at all,” says Hughan. According to the DFG’s website, their preference is to “keep animals in the wild whenever possible. In special circumstances the Department has partners that provide support and services to help injured, orphaned or abandoned wildlife return to their natural habitat.”
Stroud says the ORC will always be one such partner. “We like to take all wildlife. We know what to do. We are licensed first responders, we have the contacts and tools to do immediate care,” Stroud says. “We are here for the community.”
“They did a tremendous job, it was really a great group effort,” says Hughan of the ORC, adding that the ranch employee did the right thing seeking them out. “We sure appreciate his efforts.”
Hughan maintains that there is no increase in bear activity in the area, merely an increase in the reporting of such activity, which is normal for the time of year.
“Right now, before they start hibernating next month or so, bears are stocking up on food, so there is a rush of activity,” says Hughan. “The weather is certainly a factor. It was a really dry summer, so there is less food in their natural habitat.”
Hughan adds that avocados are some of bears’ favorite foods, as it is rich in fats, and local bears are conditioned to know where avocado orchards are.
Perhaps this conditioning was a factor in a second, unrelated bear encounter when a local woman walking her three dogs at 7 a.m. Oct. 19 was attacked by an approximately 250 lb. mother black bear with a cub. The woman, also wishing to remain anonymous, was walking along a road north of city limits adjacent to the National Forest area when she encountered the sow and her cub. When the bear charged, the woman put her arms up to guard her face and received a one-inch laceration on her wrist. She also got abrasions on her back when the bear pushed her into an embankment, where she remained still with her head between her knees.
After the bear became disinterested and left the area, the woman called police, but did not seek medical attention.
A press release from the DFG said that the department would temporarily close some trails to hikers, although Hughan did not know exactly which ones. The release also said DFG would attempt to capture the offending bear. However, DFG called off the hunt Sunday when no trace of it could be found.
According to the DFG website, there have been 15 confirmed bear attacks since 1980, the most recent of which, prior to this case, happened in the fall of 2010 in Fallen Leaf Lake, near Tahoe.
If you encounter a bear, the site advises, do not approach it, especially a mother bear with cubs. If you happen upon one, it advises, do not run. Instead, make noise, and make yourself appear large by putting your arms in the air. If attacked, always fight back.
Visit www.ojairaptorcenter.org for more information on the ORC, which is having an open house Nov. 10.
I was camping in Kings Canyon when a mother bear sided by two cubs strolled into my campsite. I had just cleaned up most of dinner except for one tamale that was still on the grill. I ran into the camper as fast as I could and banged some pots and pans but it didn’t scare away the trio as the mother bear came right over and wiped her whole arm across the picnic table knocking off some used foil and paper towels then proceeded to the grill where she singed her paws trying to get the last tamale. She finally left minutes before the ranger arrived because he had heard my pots and pans. He didn’t seem too concerned about the bear and said I did the right thing. Later that night in the middle of the night the bears came back and ransacked anothers campers site making a lot of noise but seemingly leaving the campers alone who were huddled together in their tent. It would be terrifying to have no place to go in the presence of a bear, the woman instinctively did the right thing by protecting her head and acting non aggresive and not by fleeing which might have actually provoked a worse response. Still, if given the choice between running into a bear and running into a Mt Lion I would pick bear any day.
Suza, were you struck by lightning again??
chevonne, my previous comment re mother bear was facetious.
Just The Facts………..
I dont think fighting back is a good idea if the bear has already attacked. Its best to be submissive. Go ahead and look big, scream, shout, wave your arms etc. if you are facing off, but once attacked you had better submit.
Good point. I’ve sent the question of whether to submit or fight back, once attacked, to DFG for clarification.
Reply from Andrew Hughan, DFG spokesperson, re whether to fight back or be submissive if attacked by a bear:
“It’s completely situational. The woman last week did exactly the right thing by submitting and staying still and quiet. The fight back statement iis if you are actively being mauled fight back of course, better than being consumed right? “
If I ever encounter a bear, I think I will just buck the conventional wisdom … and RUN.
Bears can run over 37 miles per hour!! Before you run, read this: http://www.bearsmart.com/resources/north-american-bears/dispelling-myths
> Bears can run over 37 miles per hour!!
Good point Suza.
In that case, I would just dazzle the bear with my compelling logical and rationale arguments.
Whoops! Here is correct link to bear saga.
http://www.ojaipost.com/2012/10/ojai-bear-defends-cub-bear-that-attacked-woman-will-be-killed-officials-say/
The previous link explains that the Department of Fish and Game will be changed to Fish and Wildlife in January, 2013. Not all wildlife are “game” but all game are wildlife!
Hi chevonne sharp,
Yes, momma bear told me how the human and her 3 dogs scared her cub! She could smell them from miles away. She says she is sorry for the scare and scratches but she’s tired of humans coming on her turf so early in the morning. She had no choice but to give them a warning!
I’m relieved both human and bear are safe. Here’s a link to the saga as it unfolded with comments from Ojai residents.
http://www.ojaipost.com/2012/10/dept-of-fish-and-game-to-be-changed-to-fish-and-wildlife/
“If you happen upon one, it advises, do not run. Instead, make noise, and make yourself appear large by putting your arms in the air. If attacked, always fight back.”
However, the woman who was attacked did the exact opposite. She “remained still with her head between her knees” … and that seemed to work out for her.
Ay Carumbas! Does Suza FranciAn know about this!!
Very glad the lady lived to tell the tale, equally happy that the search has been called off.
I told that bear to stay on Pine Mountain and leave those avocados alone. Her name is Baby, and the cub is deeter, their really nice, but don’t ever get between a bear and their avocados…..