Only you can prevent a bear raid on your campsite
SEATTLE - A pair of grizzlies made short order of a makeshift campsite at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo on Saturday.
It was a demonstration of why people need to be careful when they go camping in the woods.
"They (the bears) know what they're looking for," says Woodland Park's Julie Hopkins. "They're following their nose for every good smell they can find."
Two of Woodland Park Zoo's resident grizzlies - 16-year old brothers Keema and Denali - came to make a point. With food planted around a mock campsite, they quickly made it a big bear grocery store.
"So you can see if you had left food in your sleeping bag in your tent, and went off for a hike, you might come back and find that backside sticking out of your tent," Hopkins says.
It was an eye-opening demonstration of what could easily happen on a camping trip when people don't secure their edible goodies.
Joel Young of Bellevue was on hand to watch the demonstration.
"Ha-ha-ha, I don't think I'd be going back to camp," he said afterward. "I think we'd have to check out."
Wildlife experts say brown bears can remember 10 years later where they found a good food source.
They'll go to extremes for a tasty treat - crushing coolers with their 900-pound weight and shredding sleeping bags for a hidden granola bar.
"Everything that you can associate with food needs to be separate from your sleeping area," says Hopkins. "It's recommended it be about 100 yards away."
Even toiletries - things like toothpaste - should be kept with your food.
Hanging food from trees is one way to try to keep bears at bay, but bear-resistant containers are a more proven deterrent.
That was new information to on-lookers who like to camp.
"Like the bear-proof containers - I never thought about that," said Melissa White of Seattle. "I try to hang things in trees, but those containers look pretty good."
It was a little show at the zoo - but it could happen in the wild if a bear likes what you're serving.
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• Video shows what a bear can do to a campsite »
It was a demonstration of why people need to be careful when they go camping in the woods.
"They (the bears) know what they're looking for," says Woodland Park's Julie Hopkins. "They're following their nose for every good smell they can find."
Two of Woodland Park Zoo's resident grizzlies - 16-year old brothers Keema and Denali - came to make a point. With food planted around a mock campsite, they quickly made it a big bear grocery store.
"So you can see if you had left food in your sleeping bag in your tent, and went off for a hike, you might come back and find that backside sticking out of your tent," Hopkins says.
It was an eye-opening demonstration of what could easily happen on a camping trip when people don't secure their edible goodies.
Joel Young of Bellevue was on hand to watch the demonstration.
"Ha-ha-ha, I don't think I'd be going back to camp," he said afterward. "I think we'd have to check out."
Wildlife experts say brown bears can remember 10 years later where they found a good food source.
They'll go to extremes for a tasty treat - crushing coolers with their 900-pound weight and shredding sleeping bags for a hidden granola bar.
"Everything that you can associate with food needs to be separate from your sleeping area," says Hopkins. "It's recommended it be about 100 yards away."
Even toiletries - things like toothpaste - should be kept with your food.
Hanging food from trees is one way to try to keep bears at bay, but bear-resistant containers are a more proven deterrent.
That was new information to on-lookers who like to camp.
"Like the bear-proof containers - I never thought about that," said Melissa White of Seattle. "I try to hang things in trees, but those containers look pretty good."
It was a little show at the zoo - but it could happen in the wild if a bear likes what you're serving.
-----
• Video shows what a bear can do to a campsite »