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It seems that some female bears just insist on teaching their offspring really bad manners. It has been reported that a third problem black bear has been euthanized due to the bad habits that it probably got from its mothers.
The issue has caught the attention of the press after the Nevada officials killed another cub from the same 19-year-old female. Now they are trying to find the bear mom, which is also known as Green 108. She was once captured and released more than ten years ago.
It seems the there is a lot of concern on the matter because the animals are being taught not to fear humans and start raiding cars, trash bins, gardens and even homes for food. They know that wherever people are, there is food, so they would just show up unannounced and sometimes attack humans because they feel threatened.
Obviously, this poses people in great danger, so authorities need to kill the bears. It is then when the black bear population starts to decrease.
Scientists believe that the cubs learn the bad habits from older bears and then they start getting dangerously close to humans. However, it is hard to conclude that genetics can be the only explanation to such erratic behavior.
Other studies have suggested that bears might inherit some function of behavior from their parents. One of these studies dates back in 1989 and it involved bears from Yellowstone. Another one described how sows would encourage small cubs to go into buildings to get food by pushing them into those places.
However, a representative of the Nevada Department of Wildlife, Chris Healy, said that the solution to the problem is within our reach and we should start thinking about different ways to deal with our garbage.
While there is garbage in the area, bears will be attracted to it. This is why it is important for us to stop putting it out there, where bears can have access to it.
Traps are not entirely efficient, because once a bear has been captured, it learns what a trap is and learns how to stay away from it. Scientists say they have often seen bears avoid traps, which means they knew exactly what they were dealing with.
Green 108 is considered to be a “kind of a chronic, nuisance-type bear. She’s always been getting into trash, always been in the same area. We’ve captured several litters of hers. We’ve captured her several times,” according to Carl Lackey, who is a wildlife biologist working for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
Thus, it is important to find long-term solutions to protect these animals without putting people’s lives at risk.
Image Source: westernwildlife
