How a local grizzly bear raised three offspring amid human presence
When grizzly bears make the news, the headlines are often negative. Dorothy’s story, however, is a positive one, so far. Dorothy is an 18-year-old female grizzly widely known throughout Bigfork and Ferndale. For the last two years, Dorothy has been accompanied by her three offspring, and since male grizzly bears do not provide parental rearing, she has been tasked with finding enough food for herself and her cubs. She has managed to do so while defeating the odds of cub mortality (about two out of five cubs survive their first year of life), all while generally staying out of trouble.
What allows Dorothy and her family to live peacefully in this wildlife-urban interface? In large part, residents who are willing to secure bear attractants. Credit is also due to officials like Erik Wenum with MT Fish, Wildlife, and Parks who are proactive and responsive when managing human-bear conflict.
Bears are “single response” learners, meaning they learn from a single experience. Finding, and remembering, where they can find food is critical to their survival. If they break into a trash can and are rewarded with high-calorie foods, they are likely to investigate the next trash can they see, and so forth. If human-caused attractants are easily obtained enough times, a bear can learn to associate food resources with humans. This association can make them a potential threat to human safety.
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