Heavy snowpack hampers foraging efforts of Tahoe bears
Spring is in the air in the foothills around Placer County, meaning Rob Hyde’s property in Applegate needs yardwork. He isn’t the only one who knows it’s lush and green in the foothills. … While bear sightings in the foothills aren’t new, executive director of the Bear League, Ann Bryant, who helps rescue and educate the public about bears in Tahoe, said the lower-elevations are seeing more bears than normal because the many bears around Tahoe woke to a heavy snowpack that is still persisting, forcing them down the mountains. … Bryant said bears getting into bird feeders and unsecured trash of people who aren’t used to them have been the bulk of the calls. She worries the easy food and a snowpack that isn’t melting quickly will have lasting effects on the bears that are usually at higher elevations.