Officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) are planning to
euthanize a mamma bear in the South Lake Tahoe area simply because she grew too used to being around the humans who had invaded her home habitat. As a result of becoming "habituated" - which is humans' fault! - CDFW determined she requires "lethal removal."
The Lake Tahoe community is heartbroken and outraged by this decision. They're demanding that authorities find non-lethal options instead. Sign the petition to stand by Hope the mamma bear, Bounce her cub, and the Tahoe community!Apparently, Hope - also known as "bear number 753" - had broken into a few neighborhood homes in search of easy food. But community members have noticed that many of these homes had open or unlocked doors and windows.
There is an easy solution to this, and it's not death for the bear!Authorities have not accused Hope or Bounce of any violence towards humans. They've just been trying to survive in a landscape that is increasingly full of people.
Community members have proposed
many alternative solutions to killing this foraging bear. Officials could create public education campaigns that teach residents to actually close and lock all their doors and windows - a basic and common-sense prevention method. They could also require all homeowners to install electrical wiring around their homes or properties, which would deliver a non-lethal shock to curious bears. Finally, they could even relocate "habituated" bears to more remote, less-populated areas.
And this issue isn't isolated to only Hope and Bounce. As humans continue to spread out into areas that wildlife call home, we will see more and more instances like this. As Kathi Zollinger, a Tahoe resident and volunteer leader with the BEAR League nonprofit organization, said:
"You can't kill your way out of this. That doesn't solve the problem." Sign the petition to demand that authorities spare Hope the mamma bear's life! They must instead push measures like requiring electrical wiring and locked doors and windows for Tahoe area homes!