Front page bear

In Wednesday's Chronicle, the front page displayed a scene from inside the basin: the result of a human/ bear confrontation. The outcome a foregone conclusion: bear enters human space, confronts human w/ weapon, bear loses.
Bacchis' restaurant, an institution on the North Shore, has been broken into 4 times according to the owner. It seems that local bruins have had experience in the past at this location. One can't fault the animal for trying to access a necessary commodity: food. This event, while news worthy to some, is but a small footnote to an ongoing story of two expanding populations: residents and bears. Figures released recently indicate bears have tripled in the state in the last 30 years to north of 30k. California has grown from 33.3 million souls to 38.3 millions in the last 10 years. Granted, most of the growth of permanent residents is outside of the basin. The numbers illustrate the obvious: more bears + more people= more encounters.
And so, expect to read more such stories. Solution: be prepared to deal with any such encounter when in the basin. Carry bear spray when hiking, always. Harass the bears from a safe distance. Don't ever treat them as friendly cartoon characters but as the wild animals they are. Perhaps they, the bears need some training to instill an inbred fear of the two-legged, upright animal.
Residents have installed bear proof garbage cans, closing off a former source of food. The bears have moved on: to the lake front homes, to food purveyors of all sorts, and into the main portions of unoccupied and occupied structures. Will counties require bars on doors? Bars on windows? Be prepared for new requests of " bear control" methods within the basin.