INCLINE VILLAGE, Nevada —
The fight over bear rights versus homeowner rights is reaching a fever pitch this summer just across the California state line, in Incline Village, Nevada.
Thursday night, there was a tense standoff between a homeowner, members of the BEAR League and Nevada Department of Wildlife over a mama bear caught in a trap, while her three cubs were watching.
“She was banging around and trying to get out. The baby bears did come down from the tree at first,” BEAR League member Margaret Martini told FOX40.
Homeowner Gary Clark says the bear repeatedly broke into his home and says he’d run out of options, calling the Nevada Department of Wildlife to set up a bear trap.
“I had no idea what I was signing up for. I just thought I would trap the bear and let it go,” Clark told FOX40.
Along with the trap came members of the BEAR league. They say NDOW has killed at least four bears in Incline Village in 2013 and that many homeowners aren’t using proper bear prevention techniques, like bear proof garbage cans.
“The state of Nevada, they think the bear should not be wandering in our neighborhoods, but this is bear country, they were here first,” says BEAR League member Carolyn Stark.
NDOW says they try treat the California black bears with aversion therapy and not kill them.
“They would basically be released near the area where they were picked up. This aversion conditioning would consist of shooting rubber bullets out of a shotgun and chasing the bears with a bear dog and really trying to make their experience with humans as uncomfortable as possible,” NDOW spokesman Chris Healy told FOX40.
The BEAR League disagrees, saying bears are relocated to bear hunting zones and often die trying to return home.
NDOW says the interference from the BEAR league makes the bears more dangerous and speeds up the death of the animals.
“By hindering us, thinking they’re saving the bears, the people hindering us are probably bringing the day sooner than later where these bears become too dangerous to keep alive,” Healy said.
On Apollo Drive, in Incline Village on Thursday night, while NDOW had the mama bear trapped – workers were unable to catch the cubs. So, NDOW released the mama bear and all four furry creatures scampered back into the forest, physically fine, but freaked out – much like everyone else involved, leaving the bear fight to continue another warm summer’s day.