Arnold, CA…Our bears have been especially active in Calaveras these days, and it’s our duty as citizens to protect them from harm. The most important way to minimize human-bear conflict is to prevent bears’ access to trash. Once a bear gets a taste of human garbage it will routinely approach homes in search of food.

At homes AND businesses, be sure all your outside garbage containers are as close to bear-proof as they can be:

– Lids and doors should be tight enough to reduce odors, recessed, and self-closing.
– Latches on all lids and doors must be bear-proof (i.e. claws unable to reach the latch trigger mechanism).
– Hinges and latches for lids must be strong enough that they cannot be pried open by claws. The rule of thumb is that if it can be dismantled using a crowbar, it is NOT bear-proof. Bears are strong!
– Lock car doors, and don’t leave food inside unattended.

If everyone does his/her part, we can more harmoniously share our community with the wildlife that we treasure.