Bears are everywhere, you just don't know it
August 31, 2019 5:39 AM Subscribe
Black Bears Adapting To City Living (2003), Urban Bears "Live Fast, Die Young" (2008), Missoula Urban Bears (2009), Bears Of The Last Frontier (2011, Anchorage), You've Heard of Urban Coyotes. Urban Bears Could Be Next (2012) Map of Anchorage Bears (2015, includes earlier data), Miserable Urban Bears Reconnect With Nature (2016) Home Video Of Urban Bears (Asheville, 2018)
So hippybear, was this anyone you know?
Bear In Lyons Tries To Steal Dumpster From Behind Marijuana Dispensary [security camera video], CBS4 Denver, July 23, 2019.
posted by cenoxo at 7:55 AM on August 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
Bear In Lyons Tries To Steal Dumpster From Behind Marijuana Dispensary [security camera video], CBS4 Denver, July 23, 2019.
posted by cenoxo at 7:55 AM on August 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
The "Miserable Urban Bears Reconnect With Nature" is not about real bears – it is a TV ad for British holiday parks. (It's very cute, but most of the footage is clearly bear puppets or people in bear costumes. Wanted to make sure no one is disappointed.)
The bears of Los Angeles have discovered the joys of swimming pools in summer.
posted by rednikki at 8:19 AM on August 31, 2019
The bears of Los Angeles have discovered the joys of swimming pools in summer.
posted by rednikki at 8:19 AM on August 31, 2019
So hippybear, was this anyone you know?
Yeah, that's Fred. We keep talking to him about this, and he always says he won't do it anymore, but... yeah.
posted by hippybear at 10:34 AM on August 31, 2019 [4 favorites]
Yeah, that's Fred. We keep talking to him about this, and he always says he won't do it anymore, but... yeah.
posted by hippybear at 10:34 AM on August 31, 2019 [4 favorites]
I can bearly bear all these these bear faced bear links, hippybear! Please bear with me.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:42 AM on August 31, 2019
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:42 AM on August 31, 2019
Argh, all I've gotten in the pool is a pair of trash-pandas.
posted by zengargoyle at 10:50 AM on August 31, 2019
posted by zengargoyle at 10:50 AM on August 31, 2019
I always want to take pictures when bears try to get into our dumpster (i’ve got an excellent view from my second-floor home office), but black bears at night through a window on a cell phone camera isn’t even worth attempting. My favorite is when it is a momma with cubs.
Our very strict city laws requiring bear-resistant containers with possible fines when bears get in your garbage has caused the problem to mostly go away. While there are the occasional attempts, they learn quickly that it isn’t worth coming to try. I didn’t even see bears on my street this year (the sound of rattling dumpster lids late at night is always worth checking).
posted by D.C. at 1:50 PM on August 31, 2019
Our very strict city laws requiring bear-resistant containers with possible fines when bears get in your garbage has caused the problem to mostly go away. While there are the occasional attempts, they learn quickly that it isn’t worth coming to try. I didn’t even see bears on my street this year (the sound of rattling dumpster lids late at night is always worth checking).
posted by D.C. at 1:50 PM on August 31, 2019
MetaFilter: the sound of rattling dumpster lids late at night
posted by hippybear at 5:55 PM on August 31, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 5:55 PM on August 31, 2019 [2 favorites]
GOD i love bears and i love this post. BEARS! they're wonderful. i wish they rattled my trash cans once in a while. wish i had house in the woods and i could see them out my window.
posted by zdravo at 7:59 PM on August 31, 2019
posted by zdravo at 7:59 PM on August 31, 2019
I was chatting with a friend and his son on Thursday at our local rec grounds when a guy with a beer in hand approached us and said we should clear out as there was a bear in the area. We were a bit dismissive as it sounded like he was slurring his words, but it could also have been an accent. Regardless, we were done talking so decided to part at that juncture.
As we were heading out I recognized another colleague watching me from across a basketball court, so I biked over to say hello. He pointed out that there was a black bear in the tree directly above where I had been talking to my friend. Sure enough, there was a smallish (1st or 2nd year) black bear that could have been confused for a squirrels nest in the tree. About 20m on the other side were about 40 Aussies enjoying a picnic, unawares of the bear in their midst. My colleague had already advised Parks (we live in a national park) so they could clear the area, so we watched to make sure nobody else disturbed the bear until they arrived. After about 5 minutes the bear decided it was quiet enough for it to come down the tree and make a break for the woods. The 40 Aussies didn't notice the bear until the very last moment before it disappeared into the brush.
Who knows what else is watching us.
posted by furtive at 8:29 PM on August 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
As we were heading out I recognized another colleague watching me from across a basketball court, so I biked over to say hello. He pointed out that there was a black bear in the tree directly above where I had been talking to my friend. Sure enough, there was a smallish (1st or 2nd year) black bear that could have been confused for a squirrels nest in the tree. About 20m on the other side were about 40 Aussies enjoying a picnic, unawares of the bear in their midst. My colleague had already advised Parks (we live in a national park) so they could clear the area, so we watched to make sure nobody else disturbed the bear until they arrived. After about 5 minutes the bear decided it was quiet enough for it to come down the tree and make a break for the woods. The 40 Aussies didn't notice the bear until the very last moment before it disappeared into the brush.
Who knows what else is watching us.
posted by furtive at 8:29 PM on August 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
I have previously used a couple of my best "living with bears" tales, so my A-list material is already probably familiar to long-time MeFites, but bears continue to be a presence and eventually I'll have some good new stories. (For now, though, definitely b-list material. Sorry..)
My downstairs tenant sees them more frequently than me, probably because he likes to leave his door open when he's working. He swears that last summer he stepped out onto the porch to take a break from an art project and get some fresh air and found a bear sitting on the porch "looking up at the stars." I'm not sure I believe the "looking up at the stars" part but I would like to, as I find the idea charming.
Our house is on a shared wooden boardwalk that is accessed by a set of public stairs. Coming home from visiting friends I've encountered a bear coming down the stairs while I was going up them -- that was a very effective way to get my heart racing since it was pitch black at the time and I was not aware of the bear until it turned around and yielded right-of-way (say what you will but fortunately our yard bears are polite enough to respect their elders. they're good bears, bront.)
This year I haven't had that many sightings; the last time I saw one was quite some time ago. I was going up the back stairs in the dark and heard crunching noises coming from the back yard. I got a flashlight and shone it into the yard and discovered that the crunching noises were not due to a bear. Instead I found there were three deer back there munching on some berry bushes and completely unconcerned about my presence -- not unusual as our city deer have real attitude, such that the last time I wanted to shoo one from my yard I actually had to turn the hose on it to get it to leave. In fact our city deer are so bold I was actually a bit surprised when the deer abruptly switched behavior modes and fled the yard, until I turned my flashlight towards the direction away from which they were fleeing and spotted a huge bear waddling out from some rhododendrons.
At least the neighbors who insisted on leaving cat food out for neighborhood strays are gone (moved away, not eaten.. :-) but we still show the picture (of one of the neighborhood bears peering in their kitchen window at their dachshunds) to every new tenant that moves in..
posted by Nerd of the North at 1:13 AM on September 1, 2019 [4 favorites]
My downstairs tenant sees them more frequently than me, probably because he likes to leave his door open when he's working. He swears that last summer he stepped out onto the porch to take a break from an art project and get some fresh air and found a bear sitting on the porch "looking up at the stars." I'm not sure I believe the "looking up at the stars" part but I would like to, as I find the idea charming.
Our house is on a shared wooden boardwalk that is accessed by a set of public stairs. Coming home from visiting friends I've encountered a bear coming down the stairs while I was going up them -- that was a very effective way to get my heart racing since it was pitch black at the time and I was not aware of the bear until it turned around and yielded right-of-way (say what you will but fortunately our yard bears are polite enough to respect their elders. they're good bears, bront.)
This year I haven't had that many sightings; the last time I saw one was quite some time ago. I was going up the back stairs in the dark and heard crunching noises coming from the back yard. I got a flashlight and shone it into the yard and discovered that the crunching noises were not due to a bear. Instead I found there were three deer back there munching on some berry bushes and completely unconcerned about my presence -- not unusual as our city deer have real attitude, such that the last time I wanted to shoo one from my yard I actually had to turn the hose on it to get it to leave. In fact our city deer are so bold I was actually a bit surprised when the deer abruptly switched behavior modes and fled the yard, until I turned my flashlight towards the direction away from which they were fleeing and spotted a huge bear waddling out from some rhododendrons.
At least the neighbors who insisted on leaving cat food out for neighborhood strays are gone (moved away, not eaten.. :-) but we still show the picture (of one of the neighborhood bears peering in their kitchen window at their dachshunds) to every new tenant that moves in..
posted by Nerd of the North at 1:13 AM on September 1, 2019 [4 favorites]
Oh I love the bears- they hang out here a lot. Some on a first name basis. Currently a very young very blonde black bear; and a young black bear with classic very round ears. I accidentally sent that one scrambling up a tree the other day- moaning & complaining until I and the dog moved back enough for her to clamber back down & stalk off.
posted by cabin fever at 10:21 AM on September 3, 2019
posted by cabin fever at 10:21 AM on September 3, 2019
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posted by pykrete jungle at 6:54 AM on August 31, 2019 [1 favorite]