07/16/2025
A COMMITMENT TO RESPONSIBLE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
To care for its local bears and other wildlife, the Town of Mammoth Lakes works closely with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the Mammoth Lakes Police Department (MLPD), United States Forest Service (USFS) and other relevant organizations to implement humane, science-based approaches to bear management.
A recent intervention involving the relocation of a yearling bear highlights the importance of this work.
In some instances, to ensure the health and safety of the black bear population, CDFW will deploy traps to relocate bears that show signs of habituation to give them the best chance to move away from the area they are frequenting and thrive once again as a wild animal.
These types of interventions help prevent the bear from developing a lifelong dependency on human food and reduce the risk of future conflicts. In particular, yearling bears, recently separated from their mothers, are at a vulnerable stage where their behaviors are shaped for life, according to CDFW. If not guided back to their natural habitats, these young bears risk becoming habituated to humans and food-conditioned — learning to seek out trash, unsecured dumpsters, and even ingesting dangerous materials such as plastic bags. Such habits can lead to poor health, increased aggression, and ultimately, tragic outcomes for both bears and people.
The Town has also put a huge emphasis on community and visitor education directed at peacefully co-existing with bears. Town staff continue to conduct outreach focused on bear and wildlife safety throughout the Lakes Basin. To date, staff have recorded 1,334 individual interactions with campers and recreational users.
Other examples of Town education efforts include, but are not limited to:
- Regular bear training with all campground hosts taught by CDFW biologists.
- Town staff and MLPD provide educational talks, contact details, and other information to all camp hosts in Mammoth Lakes at their orientation training.
- Distribution of bear educational handouts in both English and Spanish to all camp hosts in Inyo Campgrounds along with RV Parks and Camp High Sierra.
- Development of an ‘in print’ wildlife reporting form specifically for the Lakes Basin - there is no cell service to fill out CDFW’s online form or to call or their wildlife conflict hotline at (559) 550-7060.
- Developing bear box signage on how to properly use them and deploying more bear boxes in high traffic areas, such as Horseshoe Lake.
- Developing signs for dumpsters on how to use them properly along with painting the carabiners bright orange and showing where they attach to help people understand how to close them properly.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is ultimately responsible for the health and safety of the black bear population and recently published the Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan for California. The plan, an update to the 1998 Black Bear Management Plan, draws upon the latest scientific tools and methods to conserve, manage, and monitor black bear populations in California. Their processes for managing human-bear conflicts are described in a Department Bulletin titled, “Black Bear Policy in California: Public Safety, Depredation, Conflict, and Animal Welfare.”
“This plan allows us to employ the best available science to understand populations and make informed management and regulatory decisions going forward to ensure black bears thrive into the future and can be enjoyed by all Californians,” said Arjun Dheer, CDFW’s Statewide Black Bear Coordinator.
We all have a part to play in keeping our bears safe and healthy. Relocation is an important tool in the toolbox and can help prevent a more devastating result for our bears and our community.
For additional information, please visit the CDFW website and how to live with wildlife.
To report conflicts with wildlife, call CDFW directly at: (559) 550-7060 or in the case of an emergency dial 911.
