Точка Синхронізації

The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board published a critique on March 9, 2025, regarding Assembly Bill 1038, a proposed California legislative measure that seeks to reintroduce the use of hounds to hunt and haze black bears in response to a surge in human-wildlife encounters. Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick introduced the bill to address growing safety concerns in regions like the Lake Tahoe Basin and San Gabriel Mountains, where reported bear interactions jumped from an average of 674 annually to over 1,600 in recent years. The editorial argues that rather than returning to hounding—a practice banned in 2012 for being cruel and ineffective—the state should focus on stricter property bear-proofing and public education. While the California Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates the black bear population has stabilized at approximately 65,000, experts suggest the spike in encounters is driven by human encroachment into bear territories rather than an explosion in the predator population. Black bears are notoriously resourceful, capable of opening car doors and jars of food, which leads them into residential areas. The proposed legislation would allow hunters to use dogs to chase bears, a practice the editorial board describes as inhumane and unlikely to resolve the root cause of the problem: the availability of human food sources. Conservationists and the Bear League emphasize that coexistence is possible through proactive measures rather than aggressive hunting. Recommended tactics include the use of bear-proof trash cans, "unwelcome mats" that deliver mild electric shocks, and motion-activated alarms to deter bears from entering properties. Wildlife officials also highlight the dangerous trend of tourists intentionally feeding bears for photographs, which habituates the animals to humans and necessitates more aggressive state intervention. Ultimately, the editorial concludes that the California Legislature should maintain its authority over bear hunting regulations rather than delegating it to an appointed commission. The board asserts that long-term safety depends on shifts in human behavior, such as securing livestock and removing bird feeders, rather than reviving outdated hunting methods that cause unnecessary animal suffering without addressing the attractants that lure bears into communities.