The California drought has caused chaos throughout the entire state from water cutbacks to disrupting natural habitats. With millions of trees dying and water sources drying up, wildlife have been forced to seek food and water elsewhere. Unfortunately, this elsewhere is in our towns. According to a report by TIME.com, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are cautioning California residents to prepare for an increase in bear sightings.
In 2014, Kern County received nearly 1,400 calls for bear sightings which was more than the previous two decades combined. The two most popular cities for bear sightings are Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes. Although these two cities are well prepared for bear sightings, many other California towns are not.
With an estimated population of 35,000 black bears, it’s inevitable that they will head to the towns to find food due to the drought. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife are asking that residents call them instead of taking matters into their own hands as it’s illegal to kill bears within the communities.