Smarter than theaverage human

It has been the position of The Record-Courier in the past that people are smarter than bears, but we're beginning to wonder if that's really true.

We're not saying bears' test scores are starting to rise, or that they are attending college in greater numbers.

However, the bear does appear to be smarter than the average human when it comes to getting food and humans are pretty dumb when it comes to figuring out how to keep the bears out of their lives.

The bear has all the advantages in this particular intellectual exercise. Bears don't have jobs or school. They don't have to worry about computer viruses or cars breaking down or driving on icy roads. All they have to do all day is figure how to find food.

Nature has designed bears to be efficient food gatherers, particularly in the fall when they have to eat for several months in anticipation of winter. So imagine what adaptation the bear would have to make when food suddenly becomes available 24/7, in a location that doesn't require hunting or gathering.

That's what people provided when they moved into the bear's habitat and left food in garbage and planted fruit trees. It was like the bears died and went to the buffet.

But people are poor sports and often are more than a little frightened of the big furry omnivores. That means when bears do what they were designed to do, they get in trouble. In California, they're often executed. Here in Nevada we do our best to teach them to stay away from people. But people keep doing the same things to attract them.

So now because we aren't smarter than the bears, someone has to make a rule.

If Douglas County commissioners approve an ordinance before them on Thursday, then we will be the first Nevadans to extend rules about bear proofing garbage cans beyond the Lake Tahoe Basin.

We like the idea that there are bears in Douglas County, but we're not happy that those bears are being punished thanks to our neglect. Perhaps bear-proofing our garbage will help teach the bears that being in nature is a far better prospect than trying to mooch off of us.