To demonstrate the size of a rather robust black bear that made a den in a California home, BEAR League volunteer first responder Dave crawled out of the same hole on camera. Dave weighs 240 pounds and is just under 6 feet.
Betsy the bear, on the other hand, likely weighs over 400 pounds based on the comparison. Black bears can squeeze their bodies into any location that they can fit their head through, so BEAR League works with homeowners in California to help secure crawl spaces and prevent bears from making a winter residence in a person’s house.
The BEAR League works in many ways to keep bears safe and wild around human residences in the Lake Tahoe Basin, Truckee, and beyond. Most noteworthy, the BEAR League focuses on education, aversion, response, community involvement, and policy development. BEAR stands for “Bear Education Aversion Response”.
If you’re having a immediate bear emergency, you can call 530-530-7297 to be connected with the BEAR League’s 24-hour hotline that coaches people by phone, helping to educate people about the true nature of black bears.
