The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department confirmed two observations of black bears near a popular recreation area in mid -June, provoking fears among residents.
What happened?
As Kelland News reports, bears were spotted wandering along the shore of Pelican Lake, located near Watertown, about an hour and a half north of the Siu waterfall. A video shared by local David Dalke has shown that one of the bears is approaching his dog dangerously, but he said that the bear just seems curious, not threatening.
Nevertheless, it was a disturbing situation, given that bears weigh hundreds of pounds and could easily injure or kill smaller animals. Fortunately, however, both animals moved away unharmed.
The bear was spotted again on the lake at the end of a harbor, where locals hunt fishing. Fortunately, a boat passed and paid attention to the bear before there was a chance to do any harm.
“He saw us for sure,” local Alexis Rowland told Kelland News. “We didn’t know what to do.”
Once again the bear moved shortly afterwards. But the group was shaken and shocked when he saw a bear in the lake, as there are quite rare observations of the Black Bear in the area.
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“In my 40 years, I’ve never heard of a bear here,” said Watertown Keith Pitz resident, Per Kelland News.
Why do black bears in South Dakota refer to?
While black bears are not considered highly dangerous to humans, they are still wild animals and can act unpredictable, especially when protecting food or small ones. And if people feed them, whether deliberately or inadvertently, they can get used to looking for food near human habitats and puts them at danger to both humans and pets.
When bears and other wild animals are conditioned on human food, it can force employees to euthanize them, which unfortunately happens more often by increasing conflicts from human and wild life.
The increase in the population, the destruction of habitats and the shortage of resources caused by the changing climate make it difficult to survive animals, which made them look for an urban environment for resources.
Throughout the world, residents are reporting bears in residential areas, including in the alleys of people, parking lots of gas stations and campsites. As humans continue to enter the territory of bears, it exerts more exertion on animals and limits their food.
In this case, the bear does not seem to be looking for food, but the fact that it did not seem too evaporated by people is referring.
Fortunately, the black bears in South Dakota are still quite unusual, according to the regional wildlife manager of South Dakota GFP Nick Rosman.
“Black bears in our area are not common in northeastern South Dakota, but sometimes we have seen similar bears for minors to wander around the area,” he explained to the Watertown KXLG radio.
How can you protect yourself and bears?
GFP recommends that you keep pets and children under supervision when bears are visible nearby and clean any food that has been abandoned.
In the broader context, however, taking steps to preserve the habitats of bears would be beneficial for both wildlife and humans, as conflicts are likely to be significantly reduced. Bear assistance to flourish in their natural habitats is crucial to maintaining healthy ecosystems as they regulate populations of other animals and contribute to overall biodiversity.
Participation in community -based conservation programs can help ensure that bears have a safe and healthy environment, thus reducing the likelihood that they will enter human territory.
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