Black bears invade Lake Tahoe homes as break-ins surge and locals fortify defenses

Black bears are increasingly breaking into homes around Lake Tahoe, leaving residents to spend thousands of dollars protecting their properties from hungry wildlife.So far this year, South Lake Tahoe police have received 174 bear-related calls, compared with 97 during the same period last year, according to The Wall Street Journal. Several incidents involved bears making their way into homes.

One local couple told the publication they were washing dishes when they looked up to find a bear standing in their living room.HIDDEN DANGER AT POPULAR US NATIONAL PARK FORCES TRAIL CLOSURES AS BEAR SIGHTINGS CLIMBThe animal wandered through the house, sniffed a tube of toothpaste in the bathroom and urinated on the floor before leaving. It was the couple's second bear break-in within the span of a month, the publication said.

As encounters become more common, some homeowners have begun installing electric mats, reinforced doors and other deterrents that can cost thousands of dollars.Resident Margaret Deanesly Ziegler has installed everything from electric deterrents to a steel door to protect her summer cabin from bears, spending about $7,500 in the process, WSJ reported."I heard the most god-awful noise," the retired physician told the publication.

"I heard the house being wrenched, the wood being torn apart.""The bears are winning," Ziegler said. "I'm the one that's spending the money."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERSimilar encounters have occurred across the Lake Tahoe Basin in recent weeks.Fox News Digital previously reported that a California man deployed bear spray after a black bear charged toward him outside his vacation home over the Fourth of July holiday. He spotted the animal rummaging through a garbage can inside his garage.

Video of the encounter captured the bear rushing toward the homeowner before he deployed the spray, sending the animal running away.The California Department of Fish and Wildlife notes on its website that black bears are "high