Whispering to Bears

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of watching a two hour show on Animal Planet which showcased my hometown and our beloved bears. The show is called "The Bear Whisperer" and as soon as I figure out when it is airing again I will post it. Here are a couple of photos of our bears. The bear in the photo above, we think may have been shot by a tourist this last summer (2009). So sad and totally unnecessary.
Our neighbor and friend Steve Searles has spent a number of years working with our bears patiently teaching them that humans are scary and they need to stay in the woods and forage for natural food. It sounds insane I know, but it is working. Steve uses non lethal methods to take care of our bear problems and most of us are very grateful for his dedication and service to our town.

The show is fantastic. Animal Planet spent a year (2008) following Steve filming his day to day interactions with Mammoth's local wildlife. They didn't make Steve out to be more than he is, which is a hunter with a caring heart. The bears are the stars of the show, they are precious creatures who are just trying to survive like the rest of us. If we humans just kept or trash and feeders locked up the bears wouldn't be such a nuisance. We had a second homeowner feeding the bears 40 pounds of dog food a day. She was actually attracting them to her vacation home!

I have written a bit in the past about our bears and what they have done in my garden such as taking bathes in my pond and as much as I dislike the fact that I really can't have bird feeders out, it doesn't detract from my love of the bears. They are adorable. Just keep your distance.

Well... it is dumping snow outside right now and I need to go shovel the deck. If you get Animal Planet try to catch Steve "The Bear Whisperer" it is so worth your time.

Have a great day.