Rachel and the bears

 

 

Spending some days in Sequoia National Park I have been for the first time in my life in a "bear active area" with wild bears around. I had no idea what this really means. Also I could not believe all the stories told by other visitors about bears breaking into cars, trying to get some food.

After my first night on one of the camp sites close to the Giant Trees I can now understand what they were  talking about. No worries, it shouldn´t be dangerous as long as you follow the rules. On every camp site you will find lockers for storing your food and other stuff outside the car. Also you will find plenty of signs with instructions how to behave.

Please read these signs carefully and follow the instructions. It´s not only for your  safety but also for the safety of the bears. Bears, that get human food to often become so bold, destructive and potentially dangerous that they must be destroyed. So it´s up to you to help the bears to survive as wild bears !!

 

 

Trying to get one of these signs as a souvenir I got in contact with Rachel who works as biologist and park ranger in the Sequoia National Park. Beside her normal work she runs her own "bear program" to help the bears to survive. To help Rachel in her work, I decided to setup this page. If you also would like to help her you are very welcome to send donations to the following adress :

 

Sequoia Natural History Association
Bear Account
Attn. Barbara Squires
HCR 89 Box 10
Three Rivers, CA 93271

 

Eric Knappbear,
one of Rachels  favorites

 In the fall, the bears GORGE themselves on acorns.

 

Bear A-01

The first (A) bear cought in 2001 (01). We had to send her to a rehab center when she was only 6 pounds because her mother was somehow killed and we replaced her in the park at 90 pounds before the winter in a den we made. The next summer, she successfully made it through the season as a wild bear.

 

 

 

"We did have a very sad occurence about two weeks ago when a cub was hit and its paw smashed and it now sits by the road looking pitiful before limping off after its mother and sibling cub. If I could have one thing in this job, it would be to have people drive more slowly ! "

Rachel, November 2002

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer : This is not an official page of or related in any way to the Sequoia National Park
(c) 2002 Rachel Mazur and Thomas Lösch

Page updated on 31.12.2002