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Securing Your Garbage Containers Against Bears

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Those living in rural areas close to vast swatches of natural bear habitat may, from time to time, come into contact with the animals. Possessing a sense of smell that is estimated to be seven times stronger than that of blood hounds, bears can be attracted to the scent of household garbage in search of an easy meal. In order to avoid attracting bears it is important to secure garbage away from them until just prior to collection day, taking the cans to the curb the night before or immediately preceding collection. A lucky few may be able to get access to a bear-proof dumpster, but most people in bear country who have trash cans need to keep them locked away. A secure out-building or shed is the best place to keep the cans until collection time. Bears are just too strong to be foiled by weighting down the lid or fitting a lock on the can, they will just tear it apart to get at the trash. Pungent trash should be double bagged to minimize smell and the trash room, and cans should be regularly cleaned and deodorized to eliminate lingering smells. Ammonia soaked rags can also be placed in or around the trash cans to cover the more appetizing smells of waste food in the bags.

How Livestock Guardian Dogs can Protect Livestock, Humans…and Bears

admin — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Livestock guardian breeds include the German Shepherd, Giant Schnauzer, and any of the three Belgian Shepherd breeds. These breeds are known for their inherent desire to “herd” packs of animals, their loyalty to their humans, high level of obedience and intelligence, and their willingness and ability to protect what they consider to be “theirs.”

These breeds were created with the intent of not only herding, but also to stand up to any aggressor that attempts to harm their charges. All around the world it is not uncommon for coyotes, wolves, bears, and mountain lions to be a threat to a herd. Therefore, it is important that guardian breeds maintain an ability to defend, or at least, ward off, any intruders.

Today, these breeds still retain these traits, making them popular in police and military work. They can be trained to protect just about anything. Conservation efforts, such as zoos and wildlife rehabilitation habitats, can benefit greatly from these very devoted breeds. By keeping predators at bay, these types of establishments can maintain the proper lifestyles for the animals they protect. Limited caging and fencing allows more freedom of movement for the animals they protect, and a much more natural environment.

How to Build a Bear-Resistant Fence

admin — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Since bears can’t read, simply installing a “Bears Stay Out!” sign won’t be terribly effective. Instead, install bear-resistant fencing to keep them out of areas where they’re not wanted. Any garbage should always be locked inside a strong shed or at the very least inside a metal lockbox. Any garbage, scraps or even a BBQ must be inside a secure area. Keeping these tempting treats away from a bear’s path can go a long way toward keeping bears out of proximity to humans.

Beyond that, a tall metal fence is usually the most bear-resistant option. Wooden fences are susceptible to harsh weather that may weaken their strength over time. Bears are heavy and can use their strength to push down a wooden fence that’s in their way. A metal fence 8-10 ft. tall will usually do what’s needed to keep a bear on the opposite side. In areas where bears could encounter children or pets, many people opt to electrify the fence. This won’t harm the bear but will provide enough of a jolt to be unpleasant. Generally spikes or razor wire are viewed as inhumane and not necessary to keeping bears on their side of the yard or property.

Why Feeding Bears is Bad – For the Bears

admin — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

A host of animals are sure to be seen on almost any mountain excursion. One of the more common and entertaining of them is the Black Bear. Any trip to the mountains is sure to bring one within viewing distance. It is not recommended, however, to feed them. Not only does feeding bear pose a threat to human safety, the bears are placed in the way of danger too. Feeding can be intentional or inadvertent, so appropriate measures should be taken to secure belongings to reduce the chance of an accidental feeding.
Black Bear often visit the campsites and because of their frequent interaction with humans, they feel that there is little to fear. Campers often fail to realize that wild bears are attracted to the smell of food and trash at campsites. Failure to place trash in a secured bin is certain to attract the attention of bear. Although the site of a bear digging through the trash bin may be entertaining, it’s obviously not safe for the bear or the humans. Often campers leave food items in storage containers on picnic tables and come back to find Black Bear sitting on the table enjoying lunch. A simple remedy is to place food in containers that can be sealed and then to place these sealed containers into coolers. This may reduce the bear’s interest in the food items.
Black Bear pose an immediate threat to human safety and can use their amazing strength for a serious attack. It is the bear that is more commonly at risk, however. Campers that inadvertently feed bears are sometimes scared by their presence and can sometimes use lethal force in a moment of fear. Bears may consume containers or silverware with their dining selection and can suffer serious health concerns because of this. Bears also run the risk of injury if crossing roadways to reach campsites. A simple way to keep everything safe is to secure food items and reduce the possibility of attracting bears.

Issues Faced by the Spectacled Bear

admin — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Spectacled Bear is, for a bear, a relatively small bear that is native to South America. It is given its name because of the coloring on its face that makes it appear as if the bear is wearing glasses. The Spectacled Bear is also called the Andean Bear because it can be found around the Andes Mountains.

The Spectacled Bear is endangered for two reasons. First, its natural habitat is being decimated by logging and farming. As the loss of habitat and natural food sources have disappeared the bears have been forced to adapt. Some farmers have accused Spectacled Bears of being the culprits in attacks on livestock. This has led to some hunting of “renegade” bears. It is thought, however, that the Spectacled Bear eats very little meat.

The second reason that the Spectacled Bear is endangered is because of its organs. As with most bears, the internal organs, most notably the gall bladder and liver are considered parts of traditional native or even Chinese medicine. The value of the bears has created a black market in which live bears can often fetch more money so that their organs can be harvested by faith healers or medicine men.

An Overview of Bear Captive Breeding Programs

admin — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Bear captive breeding programs are meant for conservation purposes. The programs take in endangered bears so they can study and breed them. Successful captive breeding programs may be able to provide the necessary resources to save animals that are in imminent danger of extinction. They do this by maintaining a viable gene pool until bear habitats can be restored.

The breeding programs have many different tasks. One of their most important duties is to study reproductive behavior and physiology. Not only that, but they also spend a lot of time watching the offspring grow and develop.This/tag helps explain it more. They collect samples of blood, urine and fecal matter. They also keep records of a bear’s height and weight. All of these various aspects are documented in hopes of learning how to save the species.

In order to open a captive breeding program, the institution must have adequate holding facilities. For instance, they need to have the proper facility to breed polar bears. Along with that, they also need to have the financial resources to support and maintain the breeding colony. They need to be able to feed the animals, as well as treat them medically. The bears have to get regular physical exams.

Common Causes of Bear Attacks and How To Avoid Them

admin — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The possibility of a bear attack is one of the number one fears for hunters, hikers and campers. Bears can get very aggressive, but if you know what to do to prevent possible attacks, you can keep yourself and those with you safe.

The main reason a bear will attack a human is if she is startled by a human’s presence. This can be greatly magnified if a female bear is traveling with her young, or if the bear is eating. Bears are very protective of their young and their kills. If a human startles a bear in either of these instances, its instinct may be more likely to attack than to run away.

You can prevent bear attacks by being aware of your surroundings. Watch for bear tracks on the ground, and if you spot any, make some noise so you don’t startle the bear if you come upon it. The bear will likely run away from the noise.

Bears are attracted to odors, so you need to keep your food in air-tight containers when camping and throw away trash in bear-proof trash bins. Most National Parks and other controlled wildlife environments have bear-proof trash bins available to keep bears from lurking around the area.

Polar and Grizzly – How Global Warming is Bringing the Two Species Together

admin — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

What an unusual site it is to see a polar bear and a grizzly together in one location. But this is exactly what is happening because of global warming. Abut twenty years ago; we started seeing grizzly bears in the Arctic. It is believed to be happening more and more due to the change in the climates of the Arctic. The climate changing is making the Arctic warm much faster than other places. They no longer have as long of winters and as cold of temperatures as they use to. These long winters and cold temperatures would deter the grizzly from going to the Arctic. But that is no longer the case. Now, we have to be concerned with the mating of these two species. What kind of bear will develop from these two species? Will the new species be called Polar Grizzly, maybe? And will the new species be white with black or brown spots, maybe. Might be interesting to keep a watch on the mating of these two species and see what develops. This could make the true polar bear and grizzly bears become extinct from our world. This would be bad for the bear world of today.Want to know more? Go ahead: Hybrid grizzly-polar bears a worrisome sign of the North’s changing climate