Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- July 3, 2007

Dry weather, unwise habits may bring bears out of woods and into backyards (:45)

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Suggested Intro:

SPRING HAS BROUGHT A RASH OF BEAR SIGHTINGS IN SOME SECTIONS OF THE STATE, AND A SPECIALIST IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS A COMBINATION OF DRY WEATHER AND LONG MEMORIES MAY DRAW THEM TO YOUR BACKYARD. GARY ABDULLAH HAS THE STORY:

Story:

(:12) WILD BEARS ARE VORACIOUS EATERS, AND WARM WEATHER STARTS THEM ON A CONSTANT SEARCH FOR FOOD. PENN STATE WILDLIFE SPECIALIST GARY SAN JULIAN SAYS UNLESS THEY'VE BEEN TAUGHT OTHERWISE, MOST BEARS WILL LOOK FOR THEIR FOOD IN THE DEEP WOODS, FAR FROM HUMANS:

San Julian Actuality:
(:19) "HOWEVER, THIS YEAR, AS IN THE PAST WHEN IT'S BEEN VERY DRY, BEARS TEND TO COME INTO THE URBAN INTERFACE LOOKING FOR FOOD, 'CAUSE THEY CAN'T FIND AS MUCH IN THE WILD. MANY TIMES, RESIDENTS TEND TO FEED THEM. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO COME BACK BECAUSE IT'S EASIER TO GET FOOD FROM YOU THAN IT IS TO SEARCH FOR FOOD IN THE WILD."

(:12) SINCE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN COUNTIES GOT LESS THAN NORMAL RAINFALL, SAN JULIAN SAYS YOU CAN LOWER THE CHANCES OF A BEAR VISITATION BY KEEPING BARBECUE GRILLS CLEAN AND TAKING DOWN BIRD FEEDERS. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.

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Learn more:

BLACK BEARS: Wildlife Damage Control 3 (College of Agricultural Sciences publication in PDF format -- Adobe Acrobat Reader required)

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