‘Bear-proof’ boxes certainly not stopping bear bullies

Visitors who leave food in their vehicles at Yosemite National Park and other high-density bear areas can discover that bears will break into their vehicles to get it -- in wilderness, bears have learned it is difficult to get food out of bear-proof food canisters, and many left the wilderness for easier-to-get food at drive-in campgrounds less Visitors who leave food in their vehicles at Yosemite National Park and other high-density bear areas can discover that bears will break into their vehicles to get it -- in wilderness, bears have learned it is ... more Photo: Yosemite National Park Photo: Yosemite National Park Image 1 of / 10 Caption Close ‘Bear-proof’ boxes certainly not stopping bear bullies 1 / 10 Back to Gallery

Nature bats last, goes the saying, and in the past week, clever bears in the Yosemite wilderness are getting the last word.

You know those bear-proof food canisters we’re all required to carry in our backpacks? The same canisters that have proved so effective in wilderness? So effective that many bears have left the remote wilds in order to ply the easy-to-get eats at many drive-in campgrounds in national parks?

The bears know that food is inside those canisters, you see. Drives ’em nuts, literally. If the bears stay in the wilderness, because of those canisters, they’re forced to eat plants, berries and nuts. In the past few weeks, a few bears have come up with Plan B.

In several encounters last week, bears grabbed, tossed or absconded with the bear-proof food canisters, according to rangers at Yosemite National Park. Something like a robber stealing a safe, then taking it home to figure out how to get the goodies.

Brother Rambob, on his last trip out of Tuolumne Meadows, said one hiker told him a bear grabbed his locked bear-proof canister, ran off with it, and when the hiker followed in pursuit, “the bear threw it into a deep ravine.” I heard a similar tale on a trip out of Hetch Hetchy.

Then, in separate episodes last week, reported Caitlin Lee-Roney, a wildlife specialist at Yosemite, bears went inside the tents of wilderness campers to look for food.

In another case, a hiker didn’t latch the canister quite right. Even though it was partially secured, “a bear was able to pry open the canister lid by prying it back,” said Lee-Roney.

In the past 10 years, certified bear-proof food canisters have been required in the wilderness at Yosemite, Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Mount Whitney and portions of other wilderness areas, including Ansel Adams and John Muir.

It’s worked so well in the central Sierra that on long expeditions in wilderness near the Sierra Crest, we rarely see bears anymore. My opinion is that many bears have left the wilderness in favor of easier prospects at the major drive-in campgrounds.

The best example is Sequoia National Park. In a week in the wilderness, we saw no bears at all. Yet at Dorst Creek Campground, Wuksachi Lodge and Mineral King, we saw 10 bears in two days, right along the roads, parking lots and campgrounds.

Wildlife activity

Photo: Robert Stienstra, Jr. Backpackers are required to use bear-proof food canisters in the...

Joining the Club: In Yosemite Valley in the past two weeks, many campers joined “The Club” with their first mountain lion sightings, said Lee-Roney.

Local otters: At Lafayette Reservoir, first it was a small flock of migratory white pelicans that have entertained visitors, and in the past month, a family of river otters, residents for the past 5 years, has made several appearances, reports Henry Viets.

Tahoe bear: A new resident of Tahoe discovered a new tenant in her basement, reported Niki Congero of the Lake Tahoe Humane Society, and it looked kind of like a Volkswagen with hair.

More bears than people: After the recent story about the Marble Mountain Wilderness, Dennis Fleming sent in this note after a trip there: “As I was walking up hill through the forest I could hear a rumbling sound coming down the trail. Sure enough here came a big bear slowly loping down the trail with her head down. She didn’t see me until she was 20 feet from me, when she put all four legs and paws in front of her and skidded to a dusty stop. She looked at me for half a second turned on a dime and shot up the hill. Maybe not the smartest thing I’ve ever done but is was very exciting.”

The big show goes on: “We took the afternoon trip on the boat Sanctuary yesterday (Tuesday) out of Moss Landing and within minutes we were surrounded by over 40 humpback whales and any number of Dolphins.” — Steve Steinhart .

A golden era: This from Santa Cruz: “We were among a pod of 15 to 20 as they fed on anchovies, which were feeding on plankton. There were hundreds of dolphin in the area. We could see the water darken with baitfish and witnessed groups of up to seven whales lunge out of the water in unison, feeding on the fish they had herded as a team. I have never seen anything like it, even in documentaries.” — Neil MacLean

Tern ID: The unbelievable swarms of terns at the entrance of Moss Landing Harbor are elegant terns, not royal terns, as we reported, advised Don Roberson and a few other bird experts.

Big Whitey: The giant great white shark that washed up at Ano Nuevo State Reserve — then washed out to sea before I could get to it — was sighted by six people, several who wrote me after my story last Sunday of the historic event. The shark was a female that measured 17 feet, 11 inches, said a longtime field scout, park ranger Gary Strachan, who sent me a gruesome photo of the giant shark on its side. The late John Zegart, who died in a car accident in June, also had photographed the shark and called it “the size of a very large car,” said his brother Jamin Zegart.

Outdoor notes

EBMUD bike access? Significant new access for mountain bikes appears imminent on watershed lands managed by the East Bay Municipal Utility District. The district said it would consider easing the bike ban, most likely on the watershed’s network of service roads.

New Tahoe campground: The first new campground in the Tahoe Basin in 20 years has been proposed for North Tahoe near the Brockway Summit on Highway 267.

Slow down, pay attention: Evidence that higher fines for speeding tickets are needed to slow down drivers in Yosemite Valley: vehicles have hit 24 bears this summer.

Can’t make this stuff up: Scott Jurek set a speed record for hiking the 2,189-mile Appalachian Trail, where he ran nearly 50 miles a day, said Susan Alcorn, the thru-hiker and blogger who tracks record attempts. When Jurek popped a bottle of Champagne at trail’s end on the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine, a state park ranger cited him for consuming alcohol in the park, hiking with a group larger than 12, and littering after a spray of Champagne hit the ground, Alcorn said.

Tom Stienstra is The San Francisco Chronicle’s outdoor writer. E-mail: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @StienstraTom