Birthing season for Lake Tahoe's black bears

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The next generation of black bears at Lake Tahoe are being born in the next two-three weeks.

While the mating season was last summer, the embryos do not start to develop until the mother bear enters the den, and they are normally born mid-January through February.

Even though the cubs we see around Tahoe in early spring are already almost 5-10 pounds or more, they are born tiny, helpless, hairless, blind, deaf, and weigh between 6-12 ounces. A black bear cub will weigh about 1/150th of its mother's weight (compared to a human baby being about 1/20th of the mom's weight). By the time they are one year old, a black bear will weigh about 80 pounds.

Lake Tahoe urbanized black bear expert Toogee Sielsch says, even though they are small and helpless at birth, they can scream like a banshee soon after being born as they are hungry!

When they emerge from the den with their mother, cubs have tripled in body weight.

A mother bear will typically give birth to one to three cubs at a time (the number of cubs being determined by the environment and an area's food supply). By the time a mother bear and her cubs are ready to emerge into spring, the cubs typically weigh around five pounds. As those of us who watch the Lake Tahoe bears know, those cubs can grow very quickly.

This is the perfect time to learn how to live with Lake Tahoe's urbanized bears. As the mothers emerge from dens, they will be looking for food as they have a family to feed. She will also teach the young ones where to find food around cars and homes and trashcans, so read THIS, and be responsible to the next bear generation.

Remember all that stuff you meant to take care of before spring? Bear alarm clocks are going off soon, so now’s the time to put those plans into action. For a quick reminder list of things that could attract bears and for a bear-wise year, visit HERE. Your goal: clean up, lock up, and store securely.

Do you know the Six Bear Wise Basics?

Never Feed or Approach Bears
Intentionally feeding bears or allowing them to find anything that smells or tastes like food teaches bears to approach homes and people looking for more.

Secure Food, Garbage and Recycling
Food and food odors attract bears, so don’t reward them with easily available food, liquids, or garbage.

Remove Bird Feeders When Bears Are Active
Birdseed and grains have lots of calories, so they’re very attractive to bears. Removing feeders is the best way to avoid creating conflicts with bears.

Never Leave Pet Food Outdoors
Feed pets indoors when possible. If you must feed pets outside, feed in single portions and remove bowls afterward. Store pet food where bears can’t see or smell it.

Clean & Store Grills
Clean grills after each use and make sure that all grease, fat, and food particles are removed. Store clean grills and smokers in a secure area that keeps bears out.

Alert Neighbors To Bear Activity
See bears in the area or evidence of bear activity? Tell your neighbors and share info on how to avoid bear conflicts.