A Kings Beach, California ice cream and coffee shop had an uninvited guest that caught employees off guard while on a break and made off with a 3-gallon tub of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.
The offender was a local black bear known as Cinnamon and he was caught on camera moments after breaking into Tahoe Time Ice Cream & Coffee Shoppe. Owner operator Beth Moxley can be heard admonishing the bear as she inspect the damage.
“We had a visitor at Tahoe Time Ice Cream & Coffee Shoppe. The damage could have been a lot worse. We all must be bear aware at all times. We were mopping and cleaning and took a half hour lunch break at 1:00 PM.” -Beth Moxley
While this incident may seem like a relatively harmless act of animal thievery, it underlines the importance of securing food items in bear country to avoid habituation. When a bear becomes habituated to human food they can lose their natural fear of people and become repeat offenders actively prowling neighborhoods for their next meal creating serious problems for the bear and residents alike. Preventing bears from accessing human food is the most effective way to avoid negative encounters. Learn more about being Bear Aware in Lake Tahoe below.
Tahoe Bears Guidelines To Living in Bear Country:
Use bear-resistant garbage cans. Bear-resistant garbage cans and containers are needed in bear country. Additionally, store garbage in a secure building or enclosure and always wait to put garbage out until the morning of collection. Contact your local waste management company to learn about various types of bear-resistant garbage cans, bear boxes and receptacles. There may also be incentive programs to offset costs of the purchase.
Close windows and lock your home. Keep doors, garage doors and windows closed and locked when your home is not occupied. Reduce the potential for hibernation under structures by blocking access to sites, such as crawl spaces under decks and buildings. Be sure to lock the doors and close the windows of your cars too!
Keep bears away from neighborhoods. Prevention is key. Fruit trees, hanging bird feeders and beehives are sure to bring bears to the neighborhood. Manage all food attractants around the home and encourage neighbors to do the same. Never leave pet food, beverages, coolers or other attractants on your porch, deck or in your car. A dirty barbecue grill will also entice a bear to visit. Keep grills clean and stored when not in use.
If a bear does come around your home, suggested methods for deterring the bear include yelling, clapping your hands, or making other noise to convince the bear that neighborhoods are not fun! Only do so if you are a safe distance from the bear and never block a bear’s escape route. Never corner a bear. Individual bears display varying levels of tolerance to humans and each situation is unique.
images from tahoebears.org
