SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — There are new details surrounding the viral video of a close call with a black bear sprinting past skiers at a Tahoe ski resort Sunday.
The video begged the question as to why the bears aren't hibernating as winter weather settles in around South Lake Tahoe.
"In Lake Tahoe, unfortunately, there's a lot of human-provided food, and so the bears don't need to hibernate," said Peter Tira, spokesperson for the California Department of Wildlife.
As the beauty of Lake Tahoe attracts people, their food attracts the bears, and experts say it's messing with their winter slumber.
"Not all the bears hibernate, their need to hibernate is in direct proportion to how much food, resources are out on the landscape," said Tira.
Skiers on the Ridge Run trail at Heavenly Mountain Resort saw that for themselves when a bear sprinted by skiers. @Tao7570 shared the video on TikTok, which has nearly garnered a million views.
"It's always an exciting thing to see a bear in the wild, right? Unless it's running in front of your skis, then it might be a little terrifying," said Tira.
ABC10 reached out to Heavenly to ask them what plans they have in place to keep guests safe when bears get close. Heavenly said provided the following statement.
"In situations where these animals are noticed, we have specific protocols to prioritize the safety of our guests and the well-being of these animals. This includes maintaining distance and promptly alerting our ski patrol, mountain safety, and security teams when needed," Heavenly said in a statement to ABC10, in part.
They go on to say close encounters like this don't happen often as the animals usually move on quickly. But there are a lot of bears in the Tahoe area and experts said the sightings aren't surprising.
"The Tahoe Basin is home to one of the largest, densest concentrations of black bears in all of North America. They are active day and night and year round," said Tira.
It's important to remember not to keep any food in your car and to keep windows and doors locked. Also, if a bear gets into your crawlspace, that can be costly as well.
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