BEARS IN YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD
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 If
bears are in your neighborhood, you should initiate
preventive measures to avoid encouraging nuisance bear
behavior. Efforts should be made to secure all garbage
containers or deposit all edible wastes in separate
containers that are stored where bears cannot gain access.
When possible, residents in bear habitat should keep their
garbage inside their home or closed utility shed in
double-bagged garbage bags and put garbage out the morning
of pick up, not the night before, to limit the time a bear
will have access to your garbage. In areas where garbage
pick up is early in the morning, state wildlife agencies can
work with local communities and waste management companies
to schedule later pick up times to allow for this preventive
measure. To
 further
eliminate attractive odors, wash the refuse containers about
once a week with disinfectant solution. Bear resistant
garbage cans are another alternative; however these are
somewhat expensive for individuals to purchase.
Pet foods as well as bird feeders can
attract bears. If pet food is allowed to remain outdoors for
extended periods of time a bear will surely find it, eat it,
and will come back
 looking
for more.
Although feeding wild black bears is
illegal in Louisiana and Arkansas, and strongly discouraged
in Mississippi and Texas, problems still occur when people,
fascinated by a bear near their home or workplace, have
tossed food out the door so that they can watch or
photograph the animal. In these situations, both the humans
and the bear quickly lose fear of each other. Fear of humans
is a bear's most important survival mechanism. Once bears
lose their fear of humans there is little incentive for them
to avoid circumstances that bring the two together. This
could easily result in a dangerous situation, both for
people and the bear. It must be remembered that these are
wild animals that may react to the presence of humans in
unpredictable ways. |
