A two-year-old female bear was killed after entering a home near Stateline on July 28th. The Nevada Department of Wildlife tells us the decision to shoot the bear came after it entered one occupied home and attempted to enter several other homes in the area.
According to department spokesman Chris Healy, the bear, known as Blue 54, had other encounters in the area and they felt her conflict behavior was increasing. Officials first discovered Blue 54 on May 8 near Stateline and South Lake Tahoe where she attempted to raid trash bins in the area. NDOW biologist Carl Lackey said that they captured and tagged her before using aversion tactics like chasing her with bear dogs and rubber bullets.Â
According to tracking data, Blue 54 continued to stay in developed areas instead of moving to a forested area. Throughout July, the bear was tracked continuously entering homes around South Lake Tahoe.
After the last break-in on July 26, NDOW set a trap and two days later, the homeowner says the bear had entered their home again where they attempted to scare the bear. Lackey says he responded to the house and it was there that he shot the bear.Â
NDOW says this is the 42nd time they have handled a bear this year with seven fatalities, including Blue 54.Â
