More people have planted more fruit in the Sierra and the foothills. Because of the drought and the warm, dry spring, that fruit has ripened early. The Nevada Department of Wildlife says the sweet crops are already luring bears.
In the drought, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels and skunks are drawn to yards. Hungry mountain lions have followed them. Bears are attracted to back yard fruit. They eat, but are in no hurry to leave breaking into cars, trash cans and bee hives.
“All the animals gotta eat and they are coming in to find the food in your little oasis.”
Paul Hollis of the Rail City Garden Center in Reno says the warm spring brought more fruit to urban gardens and there are a lot more urban gardens than there used to be. His fruits and vegetable plant sales have quadrupled in the past 3 years.
“And so yeah, it is a perfect storm, there is a lack of food out there in the wild and there is a bunch of food in our yards.”
Hollis says the easy answer is to pick, or pick up your fruits and vegetables. Only one “fruit bear” has been caught this season, but the Nevada
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