The infected bears are acting more like friendly dogs. They are less scared of people and are struggling to survive on their own.
The following written content from Harry Baker
A mysterious neurological disease in young Californian black bears (Ursus americanus) is making them behave like pet dogs, cozying up to humans in a friendly manner.
Though it sounds cute, this abnormal behavior dramatically worsens the bears’ chances of surviving in the wild.
The bears, which are all around 1 year old, appear to be suffering from a form of infectious encephalitis — inflammation of the brain tissue that can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, as well as part of an autoimmune response. But veterinarians are unsure exactly what is causing the problem or how fast it is spreading among the population.
Symptoms include a prominent head tilt, lethargic movements, muscle tremors, seizures, walking in circles and being significantly underweight, as well as a surprising fearlessness towards humans.
“Infected bears come to our attention because they approach people in a peaceful, friendly and non-aggressive manner,” said Ann Bryant, executive director of the BEAR (Bear Education Aversion Response) League who has been involved in rescuing infected bears. “Their behavior is similar to a dog, not a bear.”
In the last year, four individuals have been found with the disease — the highest number of cases since it was first detected in 2014, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
The black bear population in California has increased from between 10,000 to 15,00 individuals in 1982 to between 30,000 to 40,000 today, according to the CDFW. As a result, veterinarians aren’t too worried about the impacts of the disease on the overall population.
Fearless youngsters
Although cases of encephalitis are rare, the symptoms have made it quite easy to spot infected bears.
“The first bear I personally rescued was diagnosed with encephalitis in March of 2018,” Bryant told Live Science. “She walked into a school and entered a classroom where she sat down among the children, behaving very much like a friendly dog.”
In 2019, another infected bear was caught on video trying to climb onto a snowboard alongside its rider. The young male was eventually rescued after the snowboarder and his friends played with him and fed him sandwiches. However, friendly behavior doesn’t mean it’s safe for humans to be around the bears.
“Bears approaching people who might then treat the animal as if they are tame could easily present a danger,” Bryant said. “I would not be comfortable with a member of the public trying to handle one of these, or any, bears.”
Instead, if anyone comes across bears displaying symptoms of encephalitis they should report it to the CDFW, Bryant said.
These two particular bears now reside in rescue centers, where they must receive constant medical care to keep the brain inflammation under control, but most other bears aren’t so lucky.
The most recent bear found to have the disease, which was discovered in February lying in the back of a truck parked on a residential property, was majorly underweight and covered in fleas, and had to be put down because of its poor physical condition, according to the Sacramento Bee.
Unfortunately, this sad fate has befallen the majority of infected bears, who are not able to take care of themselves and appear to have been abandoned by their mothers. Read more from LiveScience
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