The product may break the cycle of mother bears teaching their cubs to break into houses according to a report by the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
In keeping with established practice, the article refers to it as a vaccine, not a pesticide.
It’s not clear if the writer consulted with the wild horse advocates, who use it to stop mares from teaching their foals to survive in the desert.
The story pointed to MOUs with departments of agriculture in Arizona and Nevada, a reference to the mass sterilization programs at the Salt River and Virginia Range, showing that partnerships with state agencies are possible.
Curiously, a representative of the Billings School of PZP Darting and Public Deception said the advocates weren’t trying to decrease the population of black bears, just prevent them from teaching their cubs to break in.
There is a problem with their plan, however: PZP is not approved for use on bears.
A 2017 labeling amendment expanded its scope to white-tailed deer and other cervids but not to ursids.
So not only will the advocates at Lake Tahoe need to get certified at Billings, but they’ll also need to convince the EPA that the pesticide is suitable for bears.
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