Students warned not to play games with bears

INCLINE, Nev., Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Students at a college on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe are being advised not to feed bears, pet them or "spank" them on the butt.

Some Sierra Nevada College students in Incline said students on campus have made it a game to "spank" the animals on the rear and other students have been known to pet and feed the bears on campus, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday.

Ron Stiller, a resident of Incline, said his new group, Bear Smart Tahoe, is aimed at preventing bears from becoming socialized and accustomed to humans. He said the group will encourage people to keep their garbage and bird feeders safe from bears while avoiding direct contact with the animals.

Nevada wildlife officials said 14 bears in the Incline area were captured and relocated in October alone, while several others dubbed dangerous were killed.