An 87-year-old couple was attacked by a black bear on Wednesday, Nov. 19, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
The couple sustained minor hand injuries when a bear entered their home in the Lake Tahoe area while searching for food, the department said in a news release.
The male homeowner entered his garage around 4:30 a.m. and found a bear inside looking for food. As the man backed away, the bear scratched his hand and followed him into the house. Before leaving the home, the bear also scratched the 87-year-old female homeowner.
The bear exited the home on its own and both individuals were transported to the hospital and treated by medical personnel, the department said.
In a written statement, Shawn Espinosa, Game Division Administration for the department, said bears in the area are currently experiencing hyperphagia, which is a phase where they build up as many calories as possible before going into their dens and entering hibernation.
“We are grateful that these individuals sustained minor injuries and are OK,” said Espinosa.
What precautions can people take to avoid bears?
The department is asking residents to secure attractants during this time to avoid other bear encounters.
Precautions include securing garbage, removing food sources like bird feeders, bird seed and pet food from outside, cleaning dirty barbeques and removing trash. Some places in Nevada, including Carson City, Washoe County and Douglas County offer bear-resistant garbage cans that can be left outside.
Residents should contact their local waste management to obtain a wildlife-resistant trash canister.
Residents should do the same with their cars by keeping windows and doors closed and locked and avoid leaving coolers in truck beds.
Door and windows in unoccupied rooms should be secured.
Electric fencing around beehives and chicken coops can also help keep bears away.
If you come in contact with a bear, it’s best to scare them away from a distance. Tactics that can be used include opening a window and yelling loudly or banging on pots and pans.
The department suggests yelling things like “Hey bear!”, “Go bear!”, “Get out of here bear!” and alert those around you to what is happening. It’s also possible to scare bears by triggering car alarms.
The methods can help “negatively condition” bears to let them know it’s not OK to enter areas with humans.
Black bears are the only type of bears in Nevada. According to department data, there are between 239 to 740 bears across the state.
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com