Just days after a skier nearly collided with a black bear on a trail at Heavenly Ski Resort, another bear video has emerged from the slopes of South Lake Tahoe. This time a family of three bears was filmed from a chairlift trudging through fresh snow. If you’re wondering why these bears aren’t in hibernation you need to know hibernation is directly proportional to how much food and resources are out on the landscape. Turns out there’s a ton of human-provided food in Lake Tahoe and the bears don’t always need to hibernate in the area:
Just yesterday Heavenly released this response to the bear video that went viral on international news, acknowledging they operate on National Forest Lands and bears are fact of life for the resort:
“As a resort that operates on National Forest lands, wildlife sightings can occur on occasion. We deeply respect the diverse species that inhabit the area within and surrounding the resort.
In situations where these animals are noticed, we have specific protocols to prioritize the safety of our guests and the well-being of these animals. This includes maintaining distance and promptly alerting our ski patrol, mountain safety, and security teams when needed. Thankfully, interactions between our guests and bears are infrequent as these animals usually move on quickly.
In this case, it appears this bear was just looking to find some fresh tracks out on the mountain like the rest of us. You know you’re at Heavenly when even the bears are taking in those views down Ridge Run!” -Heavenly Communications Manager, Cole Zimmerman
Original video from TikTok of the near collision: