Woman Attacked by Bear in North Lake Tahoe Home

Photo by Marion hobbs

A woman was attacked by a bear in her North Lake Tahoe home on June 16, which left her injured with a scratch on the face.

The victim left her door open when she was taking the trash, and the bear was able to quickly sneak into the front door. The victim had gone back into the home and came face-to-face with the bear, who scratched the victim’s face and knocked her to the ground. The incident occurred on the 3100-block of North Lake Tahoe Boulevard.

Fortunately, the victim was able to get away from the bear and call 911. Deputies responded to the call and found the bear had crawled up a tree near the home. California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife arrived at the home and took the bear. The victim’s condition is unknown at this time.

The incident reveals the importance of remaining “bear aware” in the Tahoe Basin during the summer months. Bears emerge from hibernation hungry and have learned how to steal human food with precision.

“Please leave your house and car doors locked at all times, even if you plan to return within minutes,” wrote the Placer County Sheriff on Instagram. “Also remember to not leave any food or wrappers, crumbs, etc. lying around in your car or in an unsecured trash can – bears have an extraordinary sense of smell and trust us – they WILL claw their way into anything to get to the food!”

While some bears in the Tahoe area may be skittish while trying to get some human food, others have become so comfortable with their human neighbors that they will calmly get whatever they can whenever they can. After the Caldor Fire, which destroyed much of the Tahoe bear population’s natural habitat in the region, officials predict even more bear incidents could occur this summer.

For more information on being bear aware in Tahoe, go here.

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

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