Species returns to seashore for first time in more than 100 years.
Point Reyes N.S., Calif.- For the first time in more than 100 years, a black bear roamed Point Reyes National Seashore.
Two employees of the park's hostel near Limantour Beach watched what they thought was a black bear search through trash bins during Memorial Day weekend.
"The lid flipped open and there he was up by those trees munching trash," Greg King, one of the employees, told the Point Reyes Light.
To confirm whether it was, indeed, a black bear, the park sent hair samples to a lab in British Columbia, analyzed teeth marks, and installed cameras on field trails in an effort to snap a photo of a foraging bear. Park officials assumed they were dealing with a juvenile male black bear, which can be pushed out of its group during breeding months and forced to forage for new habitat. Results from the hair test confirmed that it was a male black bear.
"We're very excited, but we don't know if the bear will stay," said the park's chief naturalist, John A. Dell'Osso. "This goes to show you that when you preserve native ecosystems, species that depend on them can return. That's what we're seeing here."
Black bears were once common at the park, but unregulated hunting in the 1800s eliminated them. Park officials are not sure why the bear suddenly reappeared after all these years, but they note that the number of black bears in the state has risen from about 10,000 to 30,000 in the last 20 years.
Black bears have also been spotted at Muir Woods National Monument and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. A bear sighting was also reported in Occidental, an area 40 miles north of Point Reyes.
"That's where we thought this bear originated from," said Dell'Osso. "All of the pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together."
Aside from intriguing park scientists, the sighting of the black bear has created a buzz among visitors and the Bay Area media. "People are very excited about it," said Dell'Osso. "It caused quite a stir from visitors and the newspapers and TV stations here."
Because of the park's popular backcountry campgrounds, rangers posted signs alerting visitors to the bear's possible presence, reminding them to be sure to not leave food out. The bears can coexist with park visitors and nearby communities, but they can become problematic if dependent on human food sources, park officials said.
Although the bear's visit has been confirmed, whether it will stay at the park remains uncertain. Park officials believe that Point Reyes' rich biodiversity-which NPCA recognized in a State of the Parks® report-could eventually draw the bear back.
"The park has plenty of food sources, so there's no reason why this shouldn't be a habitat for black bear," said Dell'Osso.
