Officials: Bear 'selfies' remain a really bad idea

Any day now, Kokanee salmon should begin swimming up Lake Tahoe’s Taylor Creek in an annual rite of procreation that attracts throngs of people and plenty of hungry bears.

And for the second year in a row, officials are making what should be an unnecessary request: Stay away from the bears, folks, and don’t try to take “selfie” photos with the sometimes dangerous animals.

“Having lots of people and the bears in the same vicinity is a risk. Something could happen,” said Lisa Herron, spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service’s Lake Tahoe unit. “We shouldn’t have to tell people bears are wild and dangerous animals. They should know that.”

Kokanee, a landlocked salmon introduced to Lake Tahoe in the 1950s, have spawned up Taylor Creek every fall for decades, offering a spectacle of nature that attracts thousands of visitors to the scenic stream near South Lake Tahoe.

Two things have changed. One, Herron said, is an increasing number of black bears that come to Taylor Creek to dine on the fish during the spawning period. She said the trend has been noticed over the last decade or so, with experts attributing it to learned behavior passed on from mother bears to cubs.

The other is the widespread proliferation of cell phones, “selfie sticks” and increasingly common behavior that has many people anxious to snap photos and quickly post them on the Internet.

During recent Kokanee spawns, people – sometimes in significant numbers – have wandered off trail and rushed up to bears to get close-up selfie photos and videos.

“We’ve had the problem for several years but it really kind of came to a head last year,” Herron said. “The concern is that people just don’t seem to understand these are wild animals, are unpredictable and they can be very dangerous.”

Simply put, the bear-selfie thing is a really bad idea.

Last week, the Forest Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Nevada Department of Wildlife issued a joint press release urging Taylor Creek’s fall visitors to stay on trails and keep away from bears. If they don’t, officials said, the Forest Service could be forced to close the area over public safety concerns. The warning comes before the annual Fall Fish Festival begins this Saturday, Oct. 3.

“Taking a selfie with a bear is not a good idea. It’s a bad idea for both bears and for people,” said Janice Mackey, spokeswoman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “It’s best to observe them from a distance. Let them do their thing.”