Montana knows a thing or two about living with bears, but South Lake Tahoe has taken it to a whole new level — even the bears have their own fan club. According to a recent article in OutdoorLife, what started as a routine call about yet another break-in quickly turned into a standoff between wildlife officials and an angry crowd of bear activists. After finding a gas stove left on and a home nearly set ablaze by a hungry bruin and her cub, officers secured the scene — only to be met with megaphones, accusations of a “shoot-to-kill” order, and protesters so riled up that police had to escort one officer away.
WATCH VIDEO CLIP OF PROTESTERS HERE
At the center of the chaos was a well-known female bear named “Hope,” who state records show has been breaking into houses like clockwork — a dozen times in just five weeks. Officials say they never intended to tranquilize or kill her, just to keep her from burning down another kitchen, but social media posts told a different story. That was enough to rally Hope’s human defenders, who rushed to the scene to protect Tahoe’s most notorious trash burglar and her cub, “Bounce.” While Montanans are no strangers to bear encounters, Tahoe’s brand of bear diplomacy — complete with protests, nicknames, and viral videos — shows just how bizarre wildlife management can get when emotions run high.
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