“If an animal does something, we call it instinct. If we do the same thing for the same reason, we call it intelligence.”
― Will Cuppy
Don’t invite bears to dinner!
It’s easier to prevent bears from finding food near our homes than to keep them away once they have started to feed on it.
In areas where bears live, people should keep food scraps out of the reach of bears: once a bear finds a source of food, it will come back for more and may get used to being around human beings. This can generate a conflict between bears and human activities, which usually ends up with directly or indirectly harming the bear. In the case of the Marsican brown bear, given the small number of individuals that are left, this can be a serious threat to the entire population.
Bears that feel comfortable around humans are at higher risk of road accidents and other incidents that could be fatal for both people and bears.
Bear-smart orchards and urban vegetable gardens: pick ripe fruits before they fall and remove the ones that have fallen on the ground.
Bear-smart management of food waste and other foodstuffs: effectively handle your food waste to avoid attracting bears to the bins.
- In places where rubbish is not collected door-to-door, food waste bins will be fitted with a special bear-proof closing system. Where rubbish is collected door-to-door, keep your rubbish inside the house or in your garage until collection day.
- Do not to put meat waste into the compost bin. Turn the compost pile regularly and always keep it covered to reduce strong odors that may attract wild animals.
- Store foodstuffs like pet food and animal feed in an enclosed area that is not accessible to bears. Never leave foodstuffs out in the garden or close to the house.
