When bears raid campsites, it might be because of a relationship that developed thousands of years ago between humans and carnivores. That's what an archaeologist at Northern Arizona University believes. Chrissina Burke is looking at ancient bison kill sites to prove that wild animals have been conditioned to see humans as food providers.
Burke says, "The research focuses is really focused on how do humans impact animals on the landscape. So, what I've been looking at in that context is how carnivores came in, saw, and said, 'Oh hey look! A smorgasbord. Free food!"
From tooth marks on bison bones, Burke can identify what kinds of animals were gnawing on the carcasses. She believes mountain lions, grizzly bears and wolves were watching and waiting as early hunters did the work of bringing down the kill.
"Essentially, they would have come in and consume all that leftover food which is very similar to what they do today," Burke says. "They're in our neighborhoods killing our cats. We see black bears in garbage all the time. We see people in Yellowstone National Park in campgrounds having to deal with grizzly bears, and a lot of the time these animals are killed when they become too accustomed to humans because they've learned to trust us for food."
Burke believes her research will lead to a better understanding of the coexistence between humans and wild animals. She hopes to raise public awareness so people don't lure them to their campsites or neighborhoods with food.
