KINGS BEACH, Calif. – If there is one thing that bears love, it’s sweets. That’s part of why one Tahoe ice cream shop owner is struggling with unwelcome four-pawed visitors arriving to raid her sugary business. Beth Moxley, the owner of Tahoe Time Ice Cream in King’s Beach, says she has seen more bears this year than in any other. 

A bear locals nicknamed Cinnamon even walked in and stole a three-gallon tub of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream this spring.

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“They smell like a big wet dog times 100. I can smell them before I can usually see them,” she said. “They are not afraid of humans anymore and it’s progressively gotten worse in the last five years.” Moxley added that it’s uncommon for bears to get as close as they have been recently and that some have even adjusted to daylight schedules to be better timed with human food.

“So I’m thinking maybe that they just had a lot of cubs two or three years ago and we’re seeing all those cubs now because they’re mostly yearlings they’re not real big bears.” 

She has managed to do what little she can to “bear proof” her shop, but regardless, they still come by regularly. One of those reasons she says is that the shop is located along a commonly utilized bear path.

“I believe we live on an old game trail,” where the mom teaches the cubs to head down to the lake to find water. “Raccoons follow the same trail,” she said. 

People were also concerned that she might be feeding the bears to get them to arrive so often. They are becoming more bold, towards humans, she says, and more numerous. In 2023 there were 660 reports of bear incidents on the California side of Lake Tahoe alone, about a third of which were characterized as “home invasions.”

As we enter the summer season which sees a majority of Tahoe’s visitors, Moxley promotes education for locals and visitors alike on how to manage sightings or run-ins. “Everybody should be bear aware,” she said. 

According to the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team, people can bear-proof their homes or businesses by using bear-resistant garbage cans and storing trash in a secure building. They also recommend closing all windows, garage doors and locking entrances to the building such as front doors when not occupied. Home- and business owners can also be mindful of what they keep around the property that may attract bears, including fruit trees, hanging bird feeders, and pet food.