The thought of bears marauding through the car park outside our bedroom during the night made my wife Sue glance nervously at the doorway. The door did, I had to admit, look pretty flimsy even by motel standards. There were twin beds, and my memory is that I gallantly volunteered to take the one nearest the door so I could protect Sue should a giant animal break in. Her version is that I insisted she use it instead.

“If you see a bear, best thing to do is stand your ground, big yourself up and make a lot of noise – clap your hands and shout “BAD BEAR”, the motel guy continued with a little too much relish. The chances of a hungry American black bear backing down simply because it is told it’s been bad seemed remote, but I duly noted the advice just in case.

We were in the mountain town of Mammoth Lakes in California’s Eastern Sierra. It’s a well-heeled place, and in the winter it attracts skiers and snowboarders. The bulk of visitors come from Los Angeles, according to tourism figures, and it has the feel of an upscale LA suburb, but with mountains, trees and clean air. There are some smart shops and the odd unfeasibly trendy coffee place.

We’d never heard of it, but one of the joys of travelling in California is coming across places that aren’t particularly famous outside the state, but nevertheless turn out to be memorable. Apart from nearby Mammoth Mountain and the lakes that gave the town its name, there are those bears. I found their presence fascinating, Sue less so.

Sadly, I didn’t see any, even when – to her consternation – I went off for a walk in the hope of finding one. I admit that I felt a bit nervous at one point in a forest path where the dense mass of trees and undergrowth blocked the view ahead. I began to whistle and speak loudly in the hope of warning off any lurking bears, and may even have said “BAD BEAR!”

Even though I didn’t see any, evidence of them could be found around town in the form of giant mounds of droppings. It seems the saying about what they do in the woods isn’t always true.

Wildlife experts say around 26 bears live in Mammoth Lakes. The animals are not naturally aggressive, though they can become hostile if they feel threatened.

As is often the case, mankind is more of a threat to them than the other way around. We heard talk of bears dying after being hit by cars and trucks, and cases of this happening have been reported locally. Some bears have been shot after becoming a threat because people gave them food. This has the effect of domesticating the wild animals, which can make them more aggressive.

We were surprised to learn that, even though it’s bear country, people go camping in the forests and hillsides around Mammoth Lakes, and the area is also popular with hikers. The town’s tourism site includes safety advice – in addition to the “no feeding” message, visitors are warned against taking selfies with bears! Other advice echoes the recommendations made by the motel guy.

The bears have an acute sense of smell, which is how they detect items of food that are left in cars. They are also attracted by scented toiletries such as shampoo and soap. The post’s author, outdoors writer Monica Prelle, adds that if a black bear attacks then you should if necessary fight back.

She includes this important caveat: “Recommendations regarding a bear attack are entirely different if you were to encounter a different species of bear, such as a grizzly, in other parts of the country.”

Until recently, Mammoth Lakes had its own bear whisperer. Steve Searles worked as the town’s wildlife specialist for many years, helping to deal with problem animals, handing out “Mammoth. Don’t Feed Our Bears” bumper stickers, and urging locals to lock up their garbage dumpsters. He is the subject of a TV series that’s available on Amazon Prime Video.

Last month Searles became one of the more unlikely victims of the coronavirus epidemic. The municipality, facing budget deficits because of the crisis, asked him to work for six months instead of throughout the year. This would have cut his salary in half, so he decided to resign.

He told the New York Times he opposed killing problem bears as they could be trained to steer clear of humans and their property.

“I never met a bear that couldn’t learn,” he said, adding: “I mean, I don’t try to teach bears geometry or how to ride a unicycle.”

Top photo courtesy Skeeze/Pixabay