Black bear and mountain lion sightings have been reported on Laboratory property and also in the Los Alamos town site. "Sightings such as these are typical for our black bear and mountain lion habitat," said James Biggs of Ecology (RRES-ECOL). According to Biggs, "Bears coming out of the den are in poor condition this year due to a late freeze that killed the oak and acorn supplies last year. Mountain lions aren't as badly affected because the population of deer and elk have not been as severely affected by the drought," he added.Specific bear and mountain lion sightings have been reported near the Wellness Center at Technical Area 3. Bears also have been reported at TA-16, North Mesa and Barranca Mesa, said Manny L'Esperance of Emergency Management and Response (S-8). L'Esperance also is a reserve conservation officer for the Department of Game and Fish. "Department of Game and Fish has deployed several traps in Los Alamos County in an attempt to safely capture and relocate [foraging] bears," said L'Esperance.
Drought conditions can cause these animals to look for food supplies in human-populated areas. Once these animals locate food sources they stay in the area until the food is consumed. Bears must consume thousands of calories per day to build fat reserves for hibernation in mid-to-late October, said L'Esperance. They will eat anything, such as hummingbird feeder juice, bird seed, fruit from trees and discarded food morsels, so food shouldn't be discarded in outside trash receptacles whenever possible, or bear-proof trash containers should be used, he said.
According to L'Esperance, an encounter with a mother sow with cubs can be especially dangerous. The mother sow may think that her cubs are in danger, and this can potentially lead to an attack. He recommends not turning your back to the animal, but instead to slowly back away and remain calm. Another safety precaution to consider when encountering a bear is to make noise or to wear bear bells. Bears are solitary animals that avoid contact with humans and making noise alerts a bear that humans are present.
Lab personnel can report bear and mountain lion sightings to Biggs or Leslie Hansen of RRES-ECOL at 5-5714 or 5-9873, respectively. If a bear becomes aggressive and immediate action is required contact S-8 at 7-6211.
For more information, see the Sept. 6, 2001 Daily Newsbulletin or go to http://www.esh.lanl.gov/~esh20/encounters.shtml online. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)