1. The Bear Facts

What you can do to protect bears?
Become bear-responsible. At first it may be hard to make some changes, but soon, you will be making the MRV a better place for our beary important neighbors.

Cool Facts:

• During late summer and early fall, bears need to consume 20,000 calories a day to survive winter hibernation without eating or drinking.
• Black bear noses are 100 times more sensitive than ours and they can smell food up to 5 miles away. 
• Bears are not normally nocturnal but will travel at night to avoid people.
• Black bear cubs usually stay with their mother for about 18 months.
• Black bears can reach speeds up to 25 to 30 mph.
• Black bears are not always black. They can be cinnamon, brown, or blond.

WHAT YOU CAN DO AND WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T DO!! 

• Don’t feed bears, and don’t put out food for other wildlife that attracts bears.
• Don’t leave food, trash, coolers, air fresheners or anything that smells in your vehicle.
• Do be responsible about trash and bird feeders.
• Do burn food off barbeque grills and clean after each use.
• Do keep all bear-accessible windows and doors closed and locked, including home, garage and vehicle doors.
• Do pick fruit off your fruit trees and clean up fallen fruit.
• Do use electric fencing around bee hives and chicken coops.