Mediocre berry crop, other food shortages in West push bears nearer humans in search for food

Mediocre berry crop pushes bears near humans

BOISE, Idaho — In north-central Washington, black bears have emerged from the hills to gorge on Wenatchee’s famous apples.

One hungry black bear near Gardiner, Mont., got stuck inside a van when the door slid shut. And in New Mexico, an extraordinary number of bears are being trapped or shot.

It’s that time of year again in the Intermountain West, when these lumbering beasts are piling on the calories to prepare for the long winter ahead and hibernation.

But finding enough food hasn’t been easy this year. Varying conditions have been detrimental to the natural food supply in many regions, and, as a result, bear-human contacts have been on the rise, often with bad outcomes for the bears.