NEED TO KNOW
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A black bear was photographed in the ice skating rink at Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe on Thursday, Nov. 6
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The animal, known locally as Charlie, is believed to have been on the ice for around 10 minutes before leaving on its own accord
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“He definitely took advantage of the fresh ice… He got the first tracks in our ice rink,” spokesperson Dreu Murin told the Los Angeles Times
A black bear was spotted in a place that residents of South Lake Tahoe could never have expected.
Shortly after 10 p.m. local time on Thursday, Nov. 6, employees at Heavenly Village had just finished preparing the mall’s seasonal skating rink when they realized the animal had crawled under the roped barriers to get onto the ice, according to the Los Angeles Times.
A photograph of the bear, known locally as Charlie, was shared on Facebook by the mall.
“🐻⛸ BREAKING NEWS: Looks like someone bearly read the ‘no skating without skates’ sign this morning!” the snap was captioned. “A local black bear decided to take a spin on the Heavenly Village ice rink—guess winter sports season is officially open! 😂❄️ #OnlyInTahoe #BearOnIce #HeavenlyVillage 🐾 ⛸️ Ice skating rink is open.”
Jessica Christian/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty
Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe
Dreu Murin, a spokesperson for the Shops at Heavenly Village, told the Los Angeles Times that the ice had only just “frozen over” when their employee captured the snap.
“He definitely took advantage of the fresh ice… He got the first tracks in our ice rink,” Murin told the outlet of the bear.
Murin said it isn’t uncommon for bears to be spotted in the area, particularly in late fall and early winter. He added that they haven’t had any attacks reported in recent years.
Charlie was on the ice for around 10 minutes on Thursday, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.
“He has become somewhat of a local celebrity, often wandering through the village at night or early mornings on a stroll,” Murin told the outlet. “I guess he wanted to try it out.”
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Danny Yanez
Charlie the bear
Having eventually walked off on his own accord, the bear later returned but didn’t go on the ice, per the Los Angeles Times.
“We’re thinking of making ‘Charlie the skating bear’ T-shirts,” Murin said. “He might just be our mascot.”
The Tahoe Interagency Bear Team (TIBT) urges locals to set boundaries to protect themselves from bears. Their advice includes properly disposing of garbage, hazing bears away from areas populated by humans and never allowing the animals to eat human food or trash, per South Tahoe Now.
“Although black bears are generally peaceful, we must remember that they are powerful and wild creatures, and they deserve our respect 100 percent of the time,” Urban Wildlife Biologist Rebecca Carniello with the Nevada Department of Wildlife told the outlet.
Read the original article on People
