Comment on Drought drives bears into California town in search of food

Drought drives bears into California town in search of food

(AP) — Tourists and animal lovers hoping to see a bear in Sequoia National Park this fall probably stand a better chance of spotting one in this tiny town at the park's entrance. There's no doubt a bear invasion is afoot in this town of 2,200 that is home to an eclectic mix of park employees, cattle ranchers, hippies, yuppies and artists. Most seem delighted by the visiting black bears — many brown and cinnamon in color — lumbering through grasslands, trotting across roads or wading through rivers. The four-year drought has shriveled the berry crop in the Sierra Nevada and led oaks on parched hillsides to produce fewer acorns, forcing the bears into the valleys carved by the branches of the Kaweah River that give this town its name. Quiet nights are interrupted by air horns, banging on pots or a gunshot to scare off creatures known to forage 20 hours a day as they prepare for long winter naps. State game wardens haven't had as many complaints in this area of central California as last season, when bears made it to the San Joaquin Valley cities of Visalia, Porterville and Bakersfield, Barnhart said. In Three Rivers, bears have knocked over plenty of garbage cans and raided fruit trees and grape vines.

 

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