DEAD BEAR-LY WALKING

For weeks, campers and campground staff across Mammoth Lakes watched the same young black bear limp through campgrounds on a badly injured rear leg.

The bear, described by camp hosts as emaciated and increasingly unable to walk, traveled between Sherwin Creek Campground, Shady Rest, Mammoth RV Park and areas near Mammoth Hospital, prompting repeated calls to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Over the weekend, wildlife officers finally tranquilized, examined and relocated the animal at Sherwin Creek Campground.

Former Mammoth Lakes wildlife specialist Steve Searles, who spent decades responding to bear incidents, said residents repeatedly contacted him about the bear rather than wildlife officials.

“People are calling me every single day,” Searles said. “I ask each one, ‘Why don’t you call the authorities?’ They tell me, ‘We don’t trust them. We trust you.’”

Searles said he believes the bear should have been evaluated much sooner and he questioned how the capture was handled.

According to Searles, wildlife officers initially missed the bear with a tranquilizer dart before successfully sedating it, which startled the animal. He also alleged campground hosts helped carry the sedated bear without protective equipment, a practice he believes violates CDFW policy. 

CDFW’s Black Bear Policy states that responses involving sick or injured bears should consider both public safety and animal welfare. The policy directs wildlife officials to evaluate the severity of an animal’s injuries, consult wildlife health experts when appropriate and minimize unnecessary suffering.

Campground staff interviewed by The Sheet confirmed the bear had been seen for several weeks and that they had repeatedly reported its condition to CDFW, though their accounts added context to Searles’ assertions.

A supervising camp host, who requested anonymity because employees are not authorized to speak to the media, said the bear was first reported roughly three weeks before it was captured.

“We actually did keep calling CDFW because he was so injured,” the supervisor said. “He was in every campground.”

The supervisor said wildlife officers attempted to trap the bear earlier in the season but were diverted to another wildlife emergency in northern Mono County.

“I knew where they were,” the supervisor said. “They were here. Then they had to go somewhere else, and they came back.”

Camp hosts at Sherwin Creek Campground said they had also been monitoring the bear as it moved between campgrounds.

“We wanted to get help because he’d been limping around here for days,” one camp host said.

The hosts said CDFW had been attempting to locate the bear and responded quickly once officers learned it had returned to Sherwin Creek.

“They were over here within an hour,” one host said. “I think they had been trying to find that injured one for a while.”

Camp hosts said wildlife officers sedated the bear, examined its injuries and carried it to a nearby creek (with help from on-duty hosts) after it became overheated during the tranquilization process. After treating the bear, the officers told the hosts they relocated it after determining it could be released.

The Sherwin Creek camp hosts interviewed by The Sheet were not present during the capture but said the two camp hosts who were on scene helped carry the sedated bear to the creek so it could be cooled.

“They were just there at the right place, right time,” one host said.

The supervising camp host said CDFW followed up after the incident to report that the bear had recovered from the tranquilizer and been released.

“They did actually call back within a few hours,” the supervisor said. “They said they cleaned up the wound and released him back, and he was doing fine.”

That level of communication, the supervisor added, was unusual compared with previous years.

“I’ve had more communication with them this year,” the supervisor said.

The injured bear’s condition also prompted differing opinions about what should have happened next. While residents often urge wildlife officials to avoid euthanizing bears, campground staff said many people believed the animal’s condition appeared severe enough that euthanasia might be the more humane option..

“We asked them, ‘Are you going to put him down?’” the supervising camp host said. “Everybody kind of wanted him put down because he was so bad. They said no, there was no reason to. They said he was going to be fine.”

Camp hosts said the incident unfolded during an otherwise quieter summer for bear activity. They credited improved food storage by campers and increased education efforts for reducing conflicts.

“I think the campers have been more responsible this year,” one Sherwin Creek camp host said. “Everybody’s doing the right thing.”

The supervising camp host said campground staff are also working closely with Mammoth Lakes Police Department to prevent bears from becoming food-conditioned.

Camp hosts issue warnings and contact MLPD when campers repeatedly fail to secure food, which results in citations and fines. The supervisor also credited the department’s campground compliance officer, who regularly patrols the campgrounds, with improving compliance.

As of press time, CDFW had not responded to questions about the bear’s injuries, why it remained in the area for several weeks before being captured, whether campground hosts were asked to assist during the capture, or the bear’s condition following its release.