Bear raids camp near Currant Creek Utah
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One Utah family’s campsite was ransacked by an unexpected visitor, and wildlife officials said their story was a good safety reminder for everyone playing outside.
“It was just the perfect spot, there was so much shade and it was very secluded,” said Katie Tingey, describing the camping spot her husband and children found near Currant Creek in Heber Valley. “It’s a little bit past Strawberry Reservoir.”
The Tingeys said they liked the site’s seclusion in light of the pandemic’s social distancing restrictions. It was hard for the family to find a spot with the influx of campers, so they decided to leave their gear once they found a spot.
“We thought OK, we can leave our stuff here, so we could come back up this week. We just wanted to reserve that spot because it was so good,” Tingey said.
The Tingeys said they returned home Saturday night. Katie Tingey initially planned to return to the site with her two children on Monday and her husband, Nick Tingey, would catch up later in the week.
However, Nick Tingey said they felt uneasy about his wife being alone with the children, and the couple decided to wait until they could go up together.
The family made their way back to the site on Wednesday to a surprising discovery — their campsite was turned upside down.
“At first, we thought oh did it get windy maybe our tent got torn from the window,” said Katie Tingey.
But it wasn’t the wind that had passed through the site — it was a bear.
“As we got closer we saw that there were claw marks and everything was kind of ripped and cans of soda had been eaten, torn apart,” she said.
The unexpected visitor even left behind their signature — muddy paw marks around the tent.
“So we realized oh, OK, we missed a bear attack,” said Tingey.
Tingey said she’s a diabetic and they decided to leave a few closed cans of root beer and Gatorade at the campsite, in case of an emergency.
“It never crossed my mind that having unopened root beer outside of a tent would attract a bear,” she said. “He ripped all the cans apart and drank all the root beer.”
The bear even found his way inside the tent where he clawed through a can of bug spray.
“There was spray all over the tent’s wall,” Tingey said. “And then [I think] he was stuck, and maybe that’s why he ripped his way out.”
Tonya Kieffer-Selby, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation outreach manager, said they’ve actually had fewer bear sightings this year. But recreationists need to be aware of the smells they bring into their campsite.
“Things you wouldn’t think bears want to eat include deodorant, toothpaste, sunscreen, bug spray,” Kieffer-Selby said, adding the scent of bug spray or soda in the closed can would be enough to pique a bear’s interest.
“If you leave anything that has any kind of smell there is a possibility a bear will investigate what you have,” Kieffer-Selby said. “We need to be ‘Bear-Aware’ — this includes putting away all food away from the campsite. If you left a pillow and sleeping bag they might not be as interested in that because there isn’t enough scent. But if you leave something with scent, that’s something they will want to investigate.”
Kieffer-Selby said they’ve posted flyers near the campsite to alert other recreationists and are looking for the bear. Once caught, they’re hoping to relocate the bear.
“Our priority is the public’s safety. We hope this is an isolated incident,” she said. “As long as the bear hasn’t lost its fear of humans, we can find another place for them to explore.”
As for the Tingeys, they said they will be waiting a bit before visiting the site. But they hope to continue exploring the mountains this summer, and they’re hoping to buy a replacement tent.
DWR officials asked anyone who spots the sneaky bear to file a report and make sure to avoid leaving behind any treats for the animal.
DWR officials have also set up a new website with more information.
http://www.ksl.com/article/46780991/...m-familys-tent
