A young bear with a tag in each ear was often seen cruising around Lebec this spring. Neighbors in the area reported that it was impossible to scare the bear off. It had become so habituated to human sources for food and water that it had no fear of people, officials said. It was found…(please see below to view full stories and photographs)

Photo captions:

A Lebec bear much like this one was euthanized after being too cozy with people and sustaining injuries.

CDFW Biologist Victoria Monroe

A dramatic uptick in calls about bear sightings is taking place everywhere in Kern County, except these Mountain Communities. “People there are better informed,” the supervising CDFW warden suggested.

Brandon and Diane Croxton show a picture of one of the bears their family befriended. It was shot by a CDFW warden when the bear kept approaching him on a hiking trail rather than running away. Habituation of a wild animal to humans is often fatal to the animal.

Above: The Mountain Enterprise coordinated town halls at the Frazier Park Library and Pine Mountain Clubhouse so CDFW personnel could explain how to prevent bear habituation to humans despite the fact that we live surrounded by their habitat. Warden Andrew Halverson said people in the Mountain Communities are better informed, and did not increase bear calls last year.

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This is part of the July 17, 2015 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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