Latest news with #CDFW
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
California wildlife officials euthanize Lake Tahoe bear blamed for break-ins, threats to campers
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said they have euthanized a bear who has been blamed for multiple break-ins and threatening campers in the Lake Tahoe area. According to officials, a male bear with the tag no. 717 was euthanized following an incident on July 7. The bear was described by officials as a "conflict" bear that has damaged vehicles, destroyed residential and commercial property and threatened campers for at least four years. "This bear, with a long history of human-wildlife conflict, was well-known to CDFW staff," the agency said in a statement Thursday. Agency biologists and wildlife officers were called to assist to haze several bears seeking human food at campgrounds in the Meeks Bay area on the western shore of the lake. Officials said hazing bears away from populated areas is an "important tool to create negative conditioning to human presence" while not harming the animal. CDFW staff positioned themselves to spend the night at a local campsite to safeguard campers and to keep bears away from tents, vehicles and human food. Around 8 p.m. that evening, staff were told that a bear was causing what was described as "extensive damage" to an unoccupied home. "Based on its concerning behavior, property damage, and repeated negative encounters with humans, the bear was approved for lethal removal," the agency said. After clearly identifying the bear based on the number and color of its ear tag, officials euthanized Bear 717. Officials said the bear was first captured, tagged and relocated to wild habitat four years ago after home and vehicle break-ins. Bear 717 quickly returned to the Lake Tahoe basin, continuing a pattern of break-ins and charging toward campers while seeking food. The agency shared photos of the bear, which showed the animal inside a vehicle and at a campsite. Bear 717 had also become what CDFW described as "trap shy", refusing to go into a trap despite many attempts. After Bear 717 was euthanized, officials found the bear had severely rotted teeth and was estimated to weigh close to 400 pounds, which is typical for bears in the area that subsist on human food and trash. CDFW officials said the bear's skull was collected for educational and scientific purposes, while the animal's remains were moved to the forest to decompose. "This unfortunate but necessary wildlife management action reinforces the need to keep bears wild and prevent them from accessing human food and garbage, which often leads to escalating conflict behavior and a threat to public safety," officials said. Last month, CDFW officials euthanized a bear in the South Lake Tahoe area after a camper was attacked in her trailer at Emerald Bay State Park. The bear's two cubs were taken to a wildlife rehab facility.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Prehistoric giant living in San Francisco Bay sees sharp decline
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A prehistoric fish that can grow up to 20 feet in length and is still found in the San Francisco Bay is seeing a steep decline in population across California, according to a new report released this week from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The number of white sturgeons, the largest freshwater fish in the United States, has been monitored in California since 1954. Wildlife officials said population estimates from the 1990s and earlier reached approximately 150,000 or more that were within the legal size to harvest. A five-year survey average between 2016-2021 showed an estimated population of 30,000. Preliminary results from the new 2024 survey released Wednesday estimated that only 6,447 white sturgeons of harvest size, currently 40 to 60 inches in length, remain in the California population. White sturgeons can live for more than 100 years and spawn for the first time after reaching 14 to 19 years old. Following the first spawn, the sturgeons continue to spawn every two to five years. A number of factors have impacted white sturgeon numbers in California, including loss of habitat due to dams, degraded river flows from a highly altered water system, historical sport fishing harvests, poaching and mortality due to toxic algal blooms. A Harmful Algal Bloom event in the summer of 2022 is believed to have killed thousands of sturgeons, according to CDFW. The 2024 survey was conducted in the spring and fall between San Pablo Bay and Rio Vista. Wildlife officials said the study design was peer-reviewed and is 'the most robust and comprehensive white sturgeon population monitoring survey ever conducted in California.' In June 2024, white sturgeons were added to a list of candidate species for protection under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). During the review process, white sturgeon receive full CESA protection from harm. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
09-07-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
‘Go away!' SoCal hiker captures scary encounter with mountain lion on video
It's the type of nightmare scenario every Southern California hiker fears — you're walking alone on a trail when suddenly, a mountain lion appears on the path. But for Cortney Rasura last week, that nightmare became reality. In a wild video shared on Instagram, Rasura captured two moments when a mountain lion came onto her hiking trail, and at one point, appeared to be headed straight toward her. 'No!' she repeatedly yelled at the cat. 'No, go away!' Rasura encountered the mountain lion on July 3 on Gridley trail in Los Padres National Forest, she said in an interview with KTLA. After making several steps toward her, the mountain lion diverts from the trail and bounds up the hillside. You can hear Rasura's relief in the video as she mutters, 'thank you!' Rasura told the station that she's an experienced hiker, and knew to maintain eye contact with the cat and not run away. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife encourages people to take steps to avoid mountain lion encounters, such as hiking in groups, not hiking at dawn, dusk or nighttime and keeping food stored properly. But in an unplanned encounter, Rasura took several of the agency's recommended steps, including staying calm, not running away and making loud noises. The agency also recommends trying to look bigger, if possible, and warns people to never approach the big cat or crouch down. According to the CDFW, there have been a dozen mountain lion attacks on humans in the last decade in California, one fatal. Even still, the agency said such attacks remain quite rare, as humans are 1,000 times more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a mountain lion.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Yahoo
California officials capture, kill mountain lion accused of attack on camp employee
( — A mountain lion accused of attacking a summer camp employee on June 14 was captured and killed, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Over the weekend, CDFW was able to locate and capture a mountain lion responsible for a June 14 attack on a summer camp employee in western Trinity County. The area is located in the middle of Redding and Shasta counties. Officials said a DNA analysis confirmed that the captured lion was the one responsible for the attack. Subsequently, the lion was euthanized. Rescue crews find body of 8th person after boat overturns on Lake Tahoe 'Although mountain lions typically pose little threat to humans, CDFW encourages those who live, work, and recreate in mountain lion country to take precautions to minimize the risk of encountering a mountain lion,' CDFW said on social media. 'These precautions include deer-proofing your property to avoid attracting a lion's main food source. To not hike, bike, or jog at dawn, dusk, or at night, and to avoid hiking, biking, or jogging alone.' CDFW also advised the public to remove dense vegetation from around homes to reduce hiding spaces. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
27-06-2025
- The Independent
Outcry as California bear fatally shot after Tahoe camper attack
The euthanization of a mother bear that broke into a trailer and attacked a camper in South Lake Tahoe has sparked widespread debate online. A woman was startled awake at around 4.30 a.m. on Sunday to find an American black bear pawing at her locked door at Eagle Point Campground in Emerald Bay State Park. The light-furred sow had two five-month-old cubs along with a 'long history of human conflict, including multiple home invasions and vehicle break-ins,' according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The camper banged pots and pans and screamed in an attempt to scare the bear. Despite her best efforts, the animal managed to force its way inside. The bear swiped at the woman, leaving her with cuts and bruises on her arm, wrist, and hand that required hospital treatment. In another incident later that morning, the bear clawed at the door of a campervan, ripping it open as teenagers slept inside. DNA evidence linked the bear to a spate of disturbances and attacks, which led to it being labeled as 'Public Safety Bear.' It ultimately meant it had to be targeted and 'humanely euthanized,' according to the CDFW's black bear policy. A state park ranger shot and killed the bear on Monday near the campground, CDFW spokesperson Peter Tira told SF Gate Thursday. The bear's death has sparked a wave of anger online, with many pointing fingers at humans for encroaching on bear territory. 'Funny how humans move into a bear's territory and then kill said bear because they become a their own home,' one furious Facebook user responded to the CDFW's post about the incident. 'Humans have endless places they can go. Bears don't, thanks to humans,' another added. 'Killing an animal because it's a nuisance is wrong.' Meanwhile, a third Facebook user thanked the CDFW for 'making the tough decisions,' adding: 'Keep up the good, hard work!' The sow's cubs have been orphaned and are being housed in a rehabilitation facility, with the hope that they can one day be returned to the wild. 'As wildlife professionals who devote our careers to the health and well-being of California's fish and wildlife species, euthanasia is a measure of last resort,' said Morgan Kilgour, regional manager for CDFW's North Central Region. 'Our foremost responsibility, however, remains the protection of human life and the safety of the Tahoe region.' The agency stated that it had been attempting to trap the bear since June 17, following multiple 911 calls. The animal failed to respond to seven attempts to haze it out of human-occupied areas. California has the largest population of black bears in the continental U.S., according to the department. Human‑bear interactions are especially high and urbanized in South Lake Tahoe. The region was home to the infamous 500lbs ' Hank the Tank,' who broke into dozens of homes in 2022. The region is home to more than a third of all bears in the Tahoe Basin, with about 500 on the South Shore alone, according to South Tahoe Now.
