A Himalayan black bear that was apparently tipsy was spotted red-handed invading a food store. Prior to this, the black bear also drank rum mixed with other alcoholic drinks.
Drunk Black Bear
According to Newsweek, the hungry bear took in some strong XXX rum that was combined with residues of locally brewed ara. This was in Babesa village in Bhutan. The black bear was apparently seen tucking itself into salt and foot at a store.
Because of the bear's unusual activities, Ugyen Pelzom woke up at around 2 AM. Pelzom then spotted the bear within the store and reached out to the forestry officials to report the case.
Pelzom notes how the bear kept gobbling up the remnant salt and food that were initially left for the cattle shed of Pelzom's neighbor.
Head Topics reports that when the officials finally arrived, the black bear had already left and escaped into a nearby forest.
The following day, the hungry black bear returned. Pelzom followed the suggestion of a neighbor to leave more rum to make the bear drunk enough to remain until the officials returned. However, to their dismay, the black bear just drank the drinks and left.
Himalayan Black Bear
As its name suggests, the Himalayan black bear can be spotted across the Himalayas, from India to Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and China. It is specifically an Asian black bear subspecies.
According to RAOnline, this subspecies is one of the five black bear species. The Himalayan Black Bear can specifically reach up to 1.95 meters high. The bear can also weigh as much as 120 kilograms. The black bear's tail is also quite stubby, while its fur has a silky, smooth texture, and its ears are quite big.
The IUCN Red List considers these bears vulnerable, mostly because of habitat poaching and degradation by humans.
Why Did the Bear Enter Human Territories?
One major reason why the bear enters human territory is because of the availability and abundance of food. The bears get attracted by the scents of alcohol and foods. This leads them to take a side trip in search of snacks.
Such tendencies could pose dangers to humans. This is especially true since the bears could attack when they feel threatened or surprised. However, the dangers also work the other way around. Bears are also vulnerable when they enter human territories, as they might lose the sense of fear they feel towards humans and become more at risk for becoming vehicular accident, euthanasia, and poaching victims, especially after an attack.
Newsweek also reports how adult black bears could also be orienting the younger ones about the behavior of rummaging through towns in search of food. Such a concern is only made worse by the black bear's habitat destruction, which drives them even closer to human habitats.
An official of the Department of Forest and Park Services notes that in order to avoid these wild animals, it is important to proactively take care of food waste.
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