STATELINE, Nev. – An 87-year-old Lake Tahoe man got the surprise of his life Wednesday morning when he went to his garage to retrieve some firewood at about 4:30 a.m. When he opened the door to the garage, he encountered a bear inside that he estimated to be about 250-300 lbs in size. The bear had entered the garage from a door connecting the garage to the backyard.
According to an investigation by the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), the bear then scratched the man, who was retreating into his home.
The bear followed into the Kingsbury Grade area home.
The bear was frantic and encountered the barking family dogs once it entered the home, trying to find an exit. The bear scratched at the bedroom door of the couple, and the man’s wife, also 87, opened it, thinking it was the dogs trying to enter.
The bear scratched her as well.
The couple’s granddaughter was in the home and ran to open all exterior doors in an attempt to get the bear outside. The bear exited, and first responders were called to get attention for the wounded couple. The male was able to drive himself to the hospital, where he received five stitches. His wife was transported by ambulance, and she received 20 stitches.
Both were released after being treated. They also received rabies shots.
NDOW biologists were at the scene doing their investigation this morning, and they collected DNA from scat, footprints, and hair found inside and outside the home and garage. A trap will be set to try and catch the bear.
An NDOW spokesperson said they take all human-bear encounters seriously. Their biologist applauded the granddaughter’s quick thinking in getting all the doors at the home open so the spooked bear could exit.
The homeowner told authorities he watches the local bear activities and has never seen the bear that entered his home before.
NDOW wants to remind everyone in the Lake Tahoe Basin that this is the time of year bears enter hyperphagia, where they need to eat constantly and consume as many calories as possible for the winter. They want residents to remove attractants such as bird feeders, secure dog food and trash cans, and anything else that is a food for bears. As always, keep home and car doors locked.
On the back deck of the Kingsbury home, there was a small bag of birdseed, and in the garage was a bear-resistant trash container and pet food. NDOW recommends keeping bear-resistant containers away from the home, even if locked, as bears can be attracted to smells. (This paragraph was added to the story when more information was made available.)