Hungry Bears Plague Northern California

If it's not one thing, it's another. If it's not a mother bear trampling through the campground, then it's an outbreak of bubonic plague.

A pair of persistent ursine visitors have been making life interesting for campers near Lake Tahoe. A mom and her cub would calmly poke around the tents searching for food. When rangers chased them away, they simply came back. During one return trip, a bear took a swipe at a camper and injured his arm.

Finally, the Department of Fish and Game had had enough. They tranquilized both bears and transported them to a Rancho Cordova bear-prison. If testing reveals that one of them was the culprit in the arm-swipe, they'll both be killed.

It's part of a disturbing trend this year. Usually, only one or two bears attacks humans. But so far this year, there have been 10 animals that got a little too aggressive with guests.

But the bears may not be to blame. In the case of the injured camper, some observers note that food was improperly stored, luring the animals to camp. In other words, if you're going to do something dangerous, don't look so surprised when you get hurt. Campers need to take basic precautions, like stowing food high up out of reach. And campgrounds can employ tactics like electric fences to keep out unwelcome wildlife.

Of course, there are worse dangers than bears out in the wild. A Sierra campground was closed earlier this summer when a squirrel tested positive for bubonic plague. After extensive testing, officials decided to re-open the park when it was determined that there was a low risk of contact with fleas, which spread the disease. Nevertheless, you might want to wear some extra bug spray.