Utah Bears Doubling Down On Town Visits, Wildlife Official Explanation Plus 3 More Ideas
Why Utah Bears Keep Showing Up in Town
Utah wildlife officials say bear incidents have doubled this year, largely because drought conditions damaged the plants bears normally eat, pushing them closer to people in search of food. That's the official explanation. And it makes sense.
But what if there are a few other reasons these bears are wandering into town?
Theory #1: The Jazz Bear Made It Look Fun
Let's be honest. Have you seen the Jazz Bear?
The guy gets to enjoy arena snacks, rides around on a mini motorcycle, and thousands of people cheer every time he enters a building. If you're a regular bear living in the mountains, that lifestyle probably looks pretty sweet.
Imagine you're sitting on a dusty hillside muscling down the last dry crunchy berry of the season. Then you see video of the Jazz Bear launching T-shirts into a crowd and getting free popcorn.
Suddenly a trip to town starts sounding less like survival and more like career advancement.
Theory #2: They Didn't Walk In. They Floated.
It's been a strange year for weather in parts of Utah.
Who's to say some of these bears actually intended to visit town?
Picture a bear calmly setting up camp minding his own business when a flash flood sweeps it off its feet carrying him downstream as he flails his paws and cries out for help from fellow wood creatures.
One minute foraging. The next he's standing behind a convenience store trying to look like a furry dumpster to avoid detection.
Theory #3: Those Aren't Bears at All
Before we jump to conclusions, has anyone checked whether these "bears" are really just neighbors who gave up shaving?
The drought has everyone conserving resources. Maybe some folks decided water was too precious to waste on razors.
Read More: Utah’s 3,000 Black Bears Are On The Move As Hyperphagia Sets In
These are working theories of course, but we need something more to explain the bear visit increase this year
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