SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) would like to extend a big thank you to the BEAR League for their incredible response and assistance following an unexpected visit from some furry guests at the District Office.
On Wednesday, October 28, two to three bears made their way into the District Office through a window and decided to do a little exploring. The bears wandered through offices, opened refrigerators, scattered garbage, and left quite a mess behind.
They even helped themselves to food collected for the Marcella Foundation’s Thanksgiving Food Drive!
Apparently, the bears also developed a particular fondness for Mountain Dew!
LTUSD contacted the BEAR League, whose team quickly responded and explained that the bears would likely return the following night. To prepare, the BEAR League set up a camera and a special deterrent pad designed to encourage the bears to leave if they returned. Sure enough, around 2:30 to 3:00 a.m. the next night, one of the bears returned, stepped on the deterrent pad, and promptly left the area. The BEAR League immediately contacted the District team to let them know about the return visit.
“We are incredibly grateful to the BEAR League for their quick response, expertise, and dedication to keeping both our community and our local wildlife safe,” said LTUSD Superintendent Dr. Todd Cutler. “Their willingness to spend the night monitoring the situation and helping us prevent another break-in is truly appreciated.”
The District also extends a huge thank you to our amazing maintenance team and everyone else who tackled the considerable cleanup. Between overturned garbage, scattered food, and some rather unpleasant surprises left behind by our visitors, they had their work cut out for them!
A Reminder from the BEAR League:
Living in Tahoe means sharing our beautiful community with wildlife. The BEAR League reminds everyone to keep doors and windows securely locked, especially when buildings are unoccupied. Bears are remarkably clever and can turn doorknobs and slide open windows to gain access to food.
LTUSD appreciates the BEAR League’s outstanding partnership and our dedicated Grounds and Maintenance teams for helping us get everything back in order.
We love our Tahoe bears, but we’d prefer they enjoy their snacks outside the District Office!