It happens in Yellowstone National Park all the time. The road swells up with cars. Everyone runs outside to take pictures. Montana locals call it a "bear jam." Gardnerville had its own version of a bear jam Monday afternoon as a black bear cub spent the day loitering about the trees and yard of a house at the intersection of Centerville and Rubio Way, northwest of the Ranchos.
"I heard some noise in the middle of the night, but didn't pay any attention," said homeowner Norm White, who's lived at the residence since 1973. "Then this morning my neighbor called me and said he saw a bear in one of my trees. He said he thought it was a black trash bag at first."
White said later in the morning he saw the bear eating apples on the ground near the side of his house. He said the bear also climbed up to a tree house in the back yard before coming over to the tree in the front yard. White said he'd contacted wildlife officials, and a Douglas County sheriff's deputy showed up earlier in the day but left.
"I guess they decided to leave the bear alone," White said. "It was doing no harm."
But news of the bear spread through town, and by 2 p.m., some 40 to 50 people had come to the house to take pictures. White didn't seem to mind though, as a dozen cars parked near his front yard. And no one seemed to mind as rain started to fall.
Sunny Bryant brought her 8-year-old granddaughter, Kendyl, to see the bear.
"We were at Sharkey's, and everyone kept coming up and telling us to go see this bear," Bryant said. "Someone drew a map for Kendyl so we could find the place."
Kendyl and others watched in amazement as the bear made its way down the tree and wandered to the side of the house, near the apples.
A bystander told everyone to clear a path, so the bear could leave if it wanted to. Everyone made room for the bear's exit, but the bear had no plans of leaving. It moseyed around, then went back towards the tree, looking at the crowd wearily, as if asking "What's the big deal?"
