Residents and council members told the Fish Camp Planning Advisory Council they have encountered a food‑conditioned, aggressive black bear locally and described property damage and close encounters.
Why it matters: a habituated bear that associates humans with food presents immediate risks to people and property and may require wildlife management actions.
Several speakers said the bear repeatedly returned after relocation attempts and that its mother had previously been captured and euthanized. Residents reported the bear entered cabins and refrigerators, tore open bear‑resistant garbage cans and approached people near homes. County and wildlife sources told the council that traps have been placed (with landowner permission) to capture the animal; a county official said traps are on county property with owner consent. Council members said Fish and Game and other wildlife authorities will use trapping and other tools when a bear is deemed habituated and a public-safety risk.
County and residents stressed prevention: remove or secure bird feeders, pet food, trash and other attractants; secure vehicles and doors; post renter‑notices in vacation rentals. Several residents volunteered to circulate flyers and asked the county to send outreach material to vacation‑rental owners and renters. A county speaker said the park and county have reduced human–bear incidents in prior years through prevention and public education but that once a bear learns to find food in human areas, it is much harder to stop.
No lethal action was announced in the meeting transcript; officials described trapping and monitoring actions and urged prevention as the primary tactic. Residents described the animal’s aggressive behavior and said they fear it will harm people if it continues to seek human food.