Nevada wildlife officials are utilizing a unique, four-legged strategy to address a growing black bear crisis in the affluent Lake Tahoe region. Highly trained Karelian bear dogs, named Badger and Banjo, are working alongside state biologists to deter increasingly brazen bears from breaking into homes and to instill a fear of human proximity.
These dogs, originally bred in Finland and Russia for hunting large game, are employed to chase bears out of neighborhoods, flush them from urban dens, track injured animals, and assist in their return to the wild. The objective is to create negative experiences for the bears, counteracting their increasingly positive associations with human environments. "We’re just trying to give them a bad experience around people," Carl Lackey, a longtime Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) bear biologist, told The Nevada Independent. Unlike other agencies that may use less direct methods, Nevada has prioritized its specialized canine unit.
A Resurgent Population
The deployment of the bear dogs comes as Nevada's black bear population has seen a significant resurgence. Once dwindling to approximately 30 animals by the 1980s due to habitat loss and hunting, conservation efforts have helped the population rebound to an estimated 600 to 700 bears in western Nevada. This comeback, while a conservation success, has led to a marked increase in human-bear encounters.
Lackey, who retired after nearly 33 years with NDOW, initiated the state's bear dog program about 25 years ago after being inspired by a National Geographic feature on Karelian bear dogs. He noted their "innate ability to work with the bear on the ground, more or less boxing with the bear."
Notable Encounters
The bear dogs have been instrumental in resolving several unusual situations. In one instance, a bear broke into the Lake Tahoe home of David Coverdale, lead singer of the band Whitesnake. The bear reportedly swam in the home's pool before heading towards a recording studio. After a misidentified bear was initially trapped, the actual intruder was later chased up a tree by Banjo. In another incident, Badger cornered a repeat offender bear inside the Tahoe Biltmore during renovations, trapping it near a bar once frequented by entertainers like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.
Despite the effectiveness of the dogs, wildlife officials emphasize that they are not a singular solution. "The dogs are amazing tools to haze the bears, but they aren’t going to make a permanent behavior change," said biologist Becca Carniello. "The only permanent long-term solution comes from people securing their attractants." Lackey echoed this sentiment, stating, "We’re trying to change the narrative. People are the issue, not the bear."