David Coverdale and His Bears-- Is This Love?

In a series of recent hair-raising incidents, rock star David Coverdale was confronted by a number of bears at his home in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

His first face-to-face encounter with a bear came in July, as he was "rinsing a cup or two at the kitchen sink". "I don't mind telling you I almost succumbed to an involuntary bowel movement," Coverdale told fans online.

The singer said he could feel the animal's breath on his hand as he closed the kitchen window, before he "ran around" the house to make sure all the other entrances and exits were secure. "I'd like to think it was the smell of my fab cooking that seduced him," said Coverdale, "but it was only a slightly charred bagel!"

Writing on his website, the Whitesnake singer said the same black bear broke into a guest bedroom early one morning. Coverdale, 55, recounted how he ran at the animal with an air horn canister and scared him into the garden. The British singer, formerly of Deep Purple, said bear attacks had become a "daily worry" and that authorities had warned he may have to move out.


Another incident saw the bear break into the singer's house though a sliding glass door, which had been left ajar by a guest. The animal also took the opportunity to swim in the singer's pool. Coverdale added, "For some reason, I don't think these guys care for rock!"

After that series of incidents, Coverdale called in Nevada Department of Wildlife Biologist Carl Lackey and his Karelian bear dogs Rooster and Stryker to lay a trap for the wayward beast. He didn't have to wait too long, as it was just last weekend when the singer woke up to find a creature sitting quietly in the trap. Lackey and the local sheriff came over to tranquilize and take away the bear, which turned out to be a small female brown bear (above)-- not the black bear that they had been seeking. But the adventure wasn't over yet-- I'll let Coverdale tell the next part of the story:

August 5, 11:52 am--- You are not going to believe this! Carl and I are taking care of business with the brown bear...who is blissfully unconscious...when suddenly, his dogs Stryker and Rooster start growling...I looked at Carl...he looked at me...he was nowhere near his rifle. Then...cool as you like...my BIG black beauty walks around the corner on my deck! [As we] pulled the female [bear] into the shade we found ourselves at least 20 feet from his truck and everything we needed if we had to defend ourselves. Carl crept over [and] released his dogs, who went straight for the bear. The bear tried to get away but, ended up cornered...Then he pushed past the dogs when Carl hit him with pepper spray. Then he climbed-- I shit thee not-- at least 200 feet up one of my trees! And there he remains-- guarded by the dogs, a couple of sheriffs, Bill Campbell, Pete Lee, and a very watchful Carl armed with a very potent tranquilizer dart gun poised and ready. Now we have to wait 'til he comes down...so much for my Sunday nap! Man-- this is action central today!!!

They soon
got tired of waiting though, and the sheriffs began shooting at the bear with rubber bullets until he climbed down the tree close enough for Lackey to shoot him with a tranquilizer dart. The sedative had an almost immediate effect, as the bear fell 40 feet onto a bed of pine cones. Coverdale commented on the incident thusly: "This is definitely our bear...This is an extraordinary experience, though once is enough, I assure you. I think I need a drink."