BOISE, Idaho — A mother black bear and her two cubs were located within the Greenhorn Gulch area in the Wood River Valley last week, sparking concerns.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) in a news release said that there are concerns the bears could become food conditioned, as they were pilfering through garbage cans in the residential area. The first report of a sighting was on Saturday, June 15, when a local homeowner caught security camera footage of the three bears on his property.
While on the property, the bears were able to gain access to an unsecured garbage can that was located along the driveway of the residence.
Idaho Fish and Game officers went to the area, where they found evidence of bears eating the trash. IDFG canvased the area, asking homeowners to secure their trash until the morning garbage pick-up.
As IDFG continues to monitor the area, residents and visitors alike are asked to secure their garbage in a garage or locked shed.
“When bears are accessing residential garbage that means every resident needs to change their behavior to keep bears from becoming food conditioned," Regional Wildlife Manager Mike McDonald said.. "We urge all Wood River Valley residents to do their part by securing their garbage in a locked shed or garage. It is our priority to keep our residents and visitors safe and our wildlife wild.”
IDFG said that for bears, once a behavior is learned, it is extremely difficult to change. In the case of this bear and her two cubs, they have now learned to be food-conditioned.
“It’s pretty straight-forward,” senior conservation officer Brandyn Hurd said. “Keeping residential garbage out of reach of a bear can significantly reduce the chances of a bear becoming food-conditioned. We all know the end result when a food conditioned bear becomes a public safety issue. Our goal continues to be keeping bears from becoming habituated to garbage and other attractants at campgrounds, cabins and residential neighborhoods.”
IDFG reminds the public of important steps to take while dealing with black bears in the Wood River Valley area:
- Keep all household garbage secured in a garage or other enclosed area.
- Put your garbage cart curbside on the morning of pickup, NOT the night before.
- Leftovers or discarded fish or meat bones give off a strong odor and should be stored in your freezer until the day of garbage pickup.
- Keep attractants, like BBQ grills, bird seed or pet food stored where bears cannot access them.
- Bird feeders should be taken down May through October since bears can gain a tremendous number of calories from bird seed.
By keeping bears away from garbage and food, it creates a safer environment for you, your family, your pets and more.
Additional resources on how to eliminate attractants and keep bears out of your belongings, visit the Wood River Wildlife Smart communities' website.
For more information about bear country, contact your local Idaho Fish and Game office.
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