Bear Too Much Of A Ski Bunny?

In this photo provided by Heavenly Mountain Resort, a bear cub is seen receiving care on Monday, March 3, 2014, at the Heavenly Mountain Ski Resort at Lake Tahoe, Calif. The bear cub apparently became too accustomed to people and is headed for an animal sanctuary or zoo after wildlife officials decided he’s become too domesticated to be returned to the wild. (AP Photo/Heavenly Mountain Resort)
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(PHOTO COURTESY OF HEAVENLY VALLEY RESORT)

Lake Tahoe’s bear problems have been publicized over the years. But a more popular bruin has become somewhat of a celebrity at the Heavenly Valley, one of Tahoe’s top ski resorts.

The bear was found near a ski left at the resort with some issues. When nursed back to health the animal known, big surprise, as “Heavenly” returned to the ski resort. Here’s some of the Associated Press story:

“It’s the exact same bear,” Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesman Chris Healy said Tuesday about the bear that turned up again a few miles northeast of the ski resort near Glenbrook.

“Our plan originally was to take him out in the mountains again over in the Wellington area (50 miles southeast of Tahoe), but it’s just so acclimated to humans as a source of food and obviously has honed in on this area,” he told The Associated Press.

“It’s a disaster for this magnificent animal,” Healy said. “Wild animals should not be in cages their whole life. It’s a real indictment of the way garbage is handled, or not handled.”

Heavenly is currently staying at the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care Center in South Lake Tahoe, California, where he earlier was treated for a puncture wound to the shoulder and scraped up pads on the bottom of his feet.

 Heavenly will spend the rest of its life in a zoo or sanctuary. I would agree it’s a shame human contact will prevent this bear from living life like a bear should. But in an area where bears apparently are wreaking havoc on Tahoe-area homeowners, perhaps we should be the ones who are getting too close to a wild animal.

 

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