A Sacramento man says a Fourth of July stay at his Lake Tahoe vacation home took a frightening turn when a black bear rushed toward him outside the property, forcing him to use bear spray in an encounter caught on video.
Cortlandt Koerwitz told KCRA 3 the incident started after his daughter noticed the bear digging through a garbage can in the home’s garage.
Koerwitz said he picked up bear spray and stepped outside to see what was happening. Within moments, he said, the situation changed quickly as the animal moved aggressively in his direction.
An elevated view of the Lake Tahoe Basin in California. A Sacramento man said a black bear charged at him outside his vacation home in the area during the Fourth of July holiday. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
“I just kind of caught something out of my left eye, and it was the bear rushing in. We were both startled, and I just shot the spray. And the overspray from that, you know, the shot hit me and hit my eyes,” Koerwitz said.
Footage obtained by KCRA 3 shows Koerwitz walking toward the garage before the bear suddenly charges. He then sprays the animal, which quickly turns and runs away.
Koerwitz said bear sightings are not unusual around Lake Tahoe, where the animals often search for food and may get into trash bins or unlocked vehicles. Still, he told the station that the bear’s behavior during this encounter felt out of the ordinary.
A black bear sits in a tree near a home in the Lake Tahoe area on Dec. 14, 2006. Wildlife officials say black bears are common throughout the Tahoe Basin and encourage residents to secure garbage and other food attractants to reduce conflicts. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, black bears are common throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin and are often drawn into neighborhoods by unsecured garbage and other easily accessible food sources. Wildlife officials encourage residents and visitors to secure trash, keep food out of vehicles and remove other attractants to reduce conflicts between bears and people.
The Lake Tahoe Basin is home to a healthy black bear population, and wildlife officials routinely remind residents and tourists that bears are naturally curious and possess an exceptional sense of smell, making improperly stored food and garbage a frequent source of human-bear encounters.
Black bear in tall grass (iStock)
Koerwitz said he hopes sharing his experience serves as a reminder for residents and visitors to secure their garbage, remove food from vehicles and remain alert when spending time in bear country.
INC News reached out to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for comment. A department spokesperson said the inquiry had been forwarded to the Tahoe wildlife conflict team.
