Family Life

08.10.12 | Sarah Harnisch

The severe drought is having one affect that no one really counted on: bears. With their normal summer diet of greens and berries shriveled by the worst drought in 60 years, bears are making more visits to your garbage cans. In northern New York State, a black bear crawled through the wall of a candy store in Old Forge last week. Another bear locked itself in a minivan in Old Forge and shredded in the interior in a frantic struggle to escape. Kentucky closed 2 campgrounds because of bears raiding picnic baskets. Colorado had 3 bear cubs break into a dozen cars. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says the bears are getting bolder. Some have even broken into several houses this month, in New York, while the homeowners were home. No one has been injured.