LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – As summer winds down, black bears throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin are entering hyperphagia, a period of increased feeding activity as bears work to build the fat reserves they need for winter.

During hyperphagia, bears can consume as many as 25,000 calories a day and spend much of their time searching for food. This period typically continues through the fall until colder temperatures and diminishing natural food sources prompt bears to begin denning for the winter. In the wild, bears rely on naturally available foods such as berries, insects, seeds, grasses and other seasonal food sources. 

Garbage, pet food, birdseed, coolers and other human attractants, however, can provide an easier and more concentrated source of calories. The Tahoe Interagency Bear Team reminds residents and visitors that while bears need to eat significantly more during this time of year, human food should never be part of their diet.

When bears repeatedly find food sources around homes, campgrounds, vehicles or neighborhoods, they quickly learn to associate people and developed areas with an easy meal. Food-conditioned bears may cause property damage, break into vehicles and homes, and create potentially dangerous situations for both bears and people.

Residents and visitors can help keep bears wild by taking the following precautions:

  • Secure garbage in a bear-resistant container and make sure it is properly latched.
  • Never leave trash outside or next to a full dumpster or garbage container.
  • Remove food, coolers, trash and other scented items from vehicles, and keep vehicle doors and windows closed and locked.
  • Never intentionally feed a bear.
  • Remove or properly secure attractants, including pet food, bird feeders, birdseed and livestock or chicken feed.
  • Pick ripe fruit from trees and promptly clean up fallen fruit.
  • Clean barbecue grills after use and store them securely.
  • When camping or recreating, use provided bear boxes and food-storage lockers, and make sure they are completely closed and latched.
  • Keep doors and windows secured when away from home or when rooms are unoccupied.

The Tahoe Interagency Bear Team also urges motorists to remain especially alert for bears on area roadways as vehicle collisions involving bears have increased across the region this summer.

Drivers should slow down and watch for wildlife, particularly at dawn, dusk and at night when bears can be more difficult to see. If a bear crosses the road, motorists should be prepared for another bear to follow. When a sow is traveling with cubs, she may cross first, with one or more cubs following behind.

Motorists who see a bear near or crossing a roadway should reduce their speed, scan both sides of the road and give the animal plenty of time and space to cross safely.

Bears can be especially persistent in their search for food during hyperphagia. Anyone who encounters a bear near a food source should never approach the animal or attempt to take the food away. Give the bear plenty of space and an opportunity to leave the area.

Hyperphagia is a normal and important part of a bear’s annual cycle. By securing garbage and other attractants, never feeding bears and staying alert on area roadways, residents and visitors can help reduce human-bear conflicts and keep Tahoe’s bears wild.

For helpful information about living responsibly with bears, visit tahoebears.org and bearwise.org.

 To report human-bear conflicts:

In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327).

If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.

In California, contact the CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.

Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to their public dispatch at 916-358-1300.

-Tahoe Interagency Bear Team