Possible bear problem

Cerissam

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Hi all! I was slated to adopt a leopard this spring. He's about 13inches long. This last summer, for the first time, we had a family of bears come and go from yard (mom and 2 cubs). They've gotten into our trash, and bird feeder/bird seed stash. Obviously we took up the feeders. We also had to start storing our trash inside until they hibernate. Now this has me concerned about owning a leopard outside. We live in a neighborhood in central Virginia. We moved in 2004 and this is a first for me! Anyone have suggestions on keeping this tortoise safe from bears?
 

Relic

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I'm watching this thread with interest - not because I ever expect to see a bear where I live - but because this is a problem I've never seen written about. I have no idea about a bear's possible interest in a tortoise, but I would suppose a hungry bear might be a threat to it, who knows? Surely, SOMEBODY has a bit of wisdom/experience in this area...?
 

Maro2Bear

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Make lots of noise, don’t keep your trash outside. Once the bears realize there is no “free lunch” they will mozie on to the next farm. Bears are opportunistic eaters with a great sense of smell.

ps - don’t compost either....bears love to dig around in compost bins.
 

KarenSoCal

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Black bears, I assume? Sure hope so! :)
I agree with Maro2Bear re' no food or tantalizing aromas. But bears are also playful and may roll your leopard around like a soccer ball. :( I wonder if it's even possible to build a bear proof enclosure.

Seems like the time to get our resident animal trainer on the line.

@Tom any ideas?
 

Tom

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There is no easy solution, and most people don't want to do what is necessary to save the bears and avoid problems...

Q: Why do they come around people's homes?
A: Because it is rewarding. Food, shelter, clean drinking water. Little to no risk. Gradual desensitization.

Q: How to keep them away?
A: First, remove any reward. No food, no water. Remove the incentive to come around. Next, punish them. Positive punishment in the mode of operant conditioning. Hurt and scare them. Open your front door or upstairs window and unleash a barrage of paintballs or BBs on them. Remotely set your car alarm off when they are near the car. Throw rocks at them. Teach them that humans are awful, horrible, scary creatures that can inflict stinging pain and if they come near the areas where humans live that bad, scary things will happen. Sounds awful right? The nicest, most humane thing a person can do is to teach wild animals to avoid humans and human areas. What to save their lives and have them live a free and natural life out in the woods? Make them think humans and their stuff are terrible. Make them learn to avoid humans at all costs. Few people are willing to do this sort of thing. Most do the opposite. The end result of making human contact pleasant for wild animals is a premature, painful, violent death for that animal. Hit by car. Shot by homeowner, police or animal control people. Poisoned. Electrocuted. Etc... I want wild animals to live out their lives peacefully, naturally, out in the woods, away from people. Some people think trapping and relocation is the way to go. That doesn't work with any animal species. People do that here with ground squirrels and other pests. Once out of their territory, they don't know where food, water and shelter is. This also puts them into the existing territory of other animals of that species that immediately attack these intruders on sight. It is a terrible way to die. Lost, alone, away from home, starving, no shelter, etc... Bears will attempt to return home from up to 300 miles away. Most die trying. Some make it back and they are sick, injured, dehydrated and starving by the time they get back to their home territory and resume the behaviors that got them into trouble in the first place. If your goal is to ave wild animals, teach them that humans are awful creatures to be avoided.

I'm not going to win any popularity contests with this sort of answer, but my interest is in helping the animals. Keeping them far away from people is the best help they can be given.

Short of this, a large 9 gauge chain link cage with a roof, should keep the tortoise safe. Be sure it is set into or onto a solid foundation, so the bears can't push it.
 

Relic

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"Some people think trapping and relocation is the way to go. That doesn't work with any animal species. People do that here with ground squirrels and other pests. Once out of their territory, they don't know where food, water and shelter is."

Tried this with my adult child, but she has ALWAYS found her way back home...what else you got?
 

Tom

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"Some people think trapping and relocation is the way to go. That doesn't work with any animal species. People do that here with ground squirrels and other pests. Once out of their territory, they don't know where food, water and shelter is."

Tried this with my adult child, but she has ALWAYS found her way back home...what else you got?
Did you try the paintball gun? And the scary car alarm?
 

Blackdog1714

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Karelian Bear Dogupload_2020-1-21_13-48-1.jpeg
Some Wildlife Departements have them for the express intent to harrass and scare away wild bears. A little much for the average homeowner, but it aligns with Tom in that you must make PEOPLE scary and make the bear want to stay away. Look at the average stray cat that get fed on a porch only to return daily now add a couple hundred pounds-OUCH.
 

mark1

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most dogs would chase a bear ……. dogs are nuts when it comes to stuff like that , they don't bother to think things through ……… dogs are a problem in themselves , probably more so than bears , but I find them to be a pretty easily solved problem ….
 

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