As Arizonans from across the state are looking forward to their travel plans this holiday weekend, state officials say that fire safety isn’t the only thing they should have in mind.
Arizona Game and Fish spokesperson Michael Colaianni said it’s important not to leave out one key step when camping: storing all food and trash out of any local bears’ reach.
“While bears are typically shy and will try to avoid contact with humans, they do have a fantastic sense of smell,” said Colaianni. “And that can be problematic for the bear and for us.”
Colaianni said never to run away if you encounter a bear. Instead, he suggested making yourself look bigger, making noise and backing away slowly.
More Arizona animal news
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As temperatures continue to rise, the risk of rattlesnake encounters does as well. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is warning people to stay aware of these animals when going out. -
Earlier this year, nine wild horses were found dead with evidence of bullet wounds in the Black Mesa Ranger District. -
Mexican gray wolves continue to be one of the most controversial conservation issues in Arizona and across the region. -
Scientists in Sonora are searching for clues about what happened to missing whale populations — and what the creatures that do appear are trying to say about the health of their habitat. -
More than a century after being nearly hunted to extinction by the early 1900s, 29 American bison were released in the state.
