Los Angeles County is moving towards a "beary" necessary strategy to keep its residents safe following a spike in wildlife encounters - particularly those of the Ursus Americanus kind. In a bid to educate locals on the do's and don'ts of living in proximity to these four-legged dumpster divers, Supervisor Kathryn Barger has stepped up, presenting a motion that the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved on Tuesday, with an emphasis on community safety and furry denizen diplomacy.
What's bringing those black bears into neighborhoods like Sierra Madre isn't just the scent of adventure but rather unsecured garbage and wide-open garage doors that might as well have "free buffet" signs for our wild neighbors. The city reported a sudden rush of bear sightings, and Barger isn't hibernating on the topic. She asserts, "Bears and wildlife were here well before us," in a statement obtained by her press team, going on to mention practical steps we can take to prevent these "scary encounters."
The substance of Barger's motion is clear: it's about arming the locales with knowledge and resources to prevent potentially dangerous incidents. Key to this is roping in the expertise of professionals from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The state agency would enhance its engagement through ongoing community education and by making human-wildlife conflict specialists much more available.
So, nailing the lid on this is the Board's letter – signed by all supervisors – winging its way to the state's wildlife department. It's a call to arms, or rather, a call to tranquilizer guns and bear-proof trash cans, asking the department to scale up their staffing and their presence in the affected communities. The letter also presses the state for a bespoke education plan tailored uniquely to those living in the line of furry forays. With state resources admittedly stretched thinner than a critter's winter reserves, Los Angeles County is nonetheless banking on the return on this environmental investment, hoping that "worthwhile public safety dividends" will follow.
