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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A conservation group is suing the Arizona Game and Fish Department over its rules surrounding mountain lion sport hunting. -
The U.S. Agriculture Department plans to reopen part of the U.S.-Mexico border to cattle later this month. On Aug. 24, the Douglas, Arizona, port will become the first to allow cattle from Mexico to travel into the United States. -
Federal officials said Thursday they will not release cool water this year from one of the Colorado River's major reservoirs, which would have protected a threatened native fish downstream but put more strain on already struggling hydropower production. -
Maddie French — aka the Bug Girl — just graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in illustration and launched the Bugafier, a walk-up booth where she’ll draw you on the spot as a bug. -
Maricopa County, which has long struggled with West Nile, reported its fifth death at the end of July. That makes it one of the deadliest seasons in the last five years — and it's still early.
