Some South Lake Tahoe residents want to make city a ‘bear sanctuary’ to hold humans more accountable when interacting with animals

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (KGO) — Some residents are pushing for South Lake Tahoe to become a sanctuary city — but, in this case, for bears.

Bears often make their way into homes and cars, mostly searching for food.

At this week’s city council meeting, a resident said it was time to make humans more accountable for their role in the bear break-ins.

MORE: Battle to save Lake Tahoe mama bear from being euthanized continues

A local nonprofit, the Bear League, has written a formal proclamation to the city council in support of the idea.

The proposal includes using non-lethal solutions when managing the bears and potentially fining people who don’t secure trash or food.

The city council has yet to take it up.