Yosemite bears prefer minivans! :-)
Most people who know me well will tell you that I like science (as in “blinded me with…“) as much as the next guy, actually MORE than the next guy! 
That’s why this article that summarizes the results of a Journal of Mammalogy paper on seven years worth of data about black bears (Ursus americanus) breaking into automobiles in Yosemite Valley caught my eye!
The authors: Stewart W. Breck, Nathan Lance and Victoria Seher, classified automobiles from 908 automobile break-ins (by bears, this time! ) in Yosemite Valley into nine categories. The researchers found that 26% of the victimized vehicles were minivans, 22.5% were sport-utility vehicles, 17.1% were small cars, 13.7% were sedans, 11.9% were trucks, and the remaining targets were split among other types. Most of the vehicles of all types had evidence of available food.
Well, as a man who used to visit Yosemite Valley in a pickup truck, but who now drives a compact sedan, I am delighted!
When the numbers were compared with the types of vehicles that visited the park in 2004-2005 (you did not know that they TRACKED this information, did you? ), the authors found that ONLY THE MINIVANS WERE TARGETED AT DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH RATES.
The scientists offered four possible reasons for the observations:
- Minivans are designed for families with children, who are more likely to spill food and drink in the vehicle, leading to smells of food emanating from the vehicle.
- Maybe minivan drivers and passengers are more prone to leave large amounts of food in a vehicle parked overnight. Public awareness campaigns have led to more people putting food in “bear boxes.”
- Maybe minivans are easier to break into than other types of vehicles. According to the study, “Bears most often gained access to minivans by popping open a rear side window.” (Rumors that bears team up with raccoons that “pick the locks” are apparently untrue! ) A park spokesperson said, “It’s very easy for a bear to break into a vehicle — little effort for a possibly big reward.”
- Maybe a small group of bears was responsible for all of the break-ins, and they have learned to favor minivans (… and to skew statistics! ).
A spokesperson for Yosemite National Park noted that break-ins by bears PEAKED in 1998 when bears were implicated in 1,455 incidents involving about $622,000 in damages. (Remember, those are 1998 dollars! ) By October of 2009, when the article was written, bears had caused 459 incidents totaling about $64.000 in damages to that point in the year.
If you like science too, and want to see the full report, “Selective Foraging for Anthropogenic Resources by Black Bears: Minivans in Yosemite National Park,” see the original journal article (PDF).
-Bill at
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