2018 among deadliest years for bears on Nevada roads

Drivers on Nevada roads have struck and killed 34 bears in 2018, making it the second-deadliest year so far for bears on state roads, according to state records.

A strike Wednesday morning on Mt. Rose Highway that killed two bear cubs brought the state within one death of the all-time record of 35 set in 2007.

For comparison, the number of bears killed so far by hunters in 2018 is 14, less than half the total killed by drivers.

Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesperson Ashley Sanchez said the high number is likely due in part to climate conditions.

It’s been an unusually dry year in Nevada’s bear country and that means fewer natural food sources in the forests.

To compensate for lack of food in natural habitat bears will move into urban areas to get food from fruit trees and unprotected trash bins.

The excursions put the bears in danger by exposing them to hazards such as moving vehicles.

“It was just a bad water year, so we’ve noticed a lot more bears coming down into the foothills for fruit,” Sanchez said.

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The cubs killed Wednesday were part of a family of four, a mother and three cubs.

According to NDOW, the family had been captured in September near the Tannenbaum Events Center and tagged.

At the time, Sanchez said, the bears were showing little to no fear of human activity. Upon the bears’ release, NDOW used dogs and loud noises to scare them with the hopes it would deter the animals from returning to human-populated areas.

At the time of their deaths, Sanchez said the cubs weighed 85-90 pounds, which about twice the normal weight for first year cubs.

Their weight suggests the bears had been living and scavenging food in urban areas, she said.

“Please pick the fruit off your trees and keep it off the ground, that is what is bringing bears and all wildlife into roadways,” she said.