Bears, insects and rattlesnakes invading populated parts of California because of drought

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. "In the urban areas, we have 24/7 access to food, water and shelter, and if you think about it in the wild, a bear might give birth to one or two cubs and those cubs may not survive until adulthood because their resources are limited," she said. Birds and insects have also been sighted coming further afield, with experts also citing poor water provisions in the wild due to drought. “Because there’s limited water in the environment and everything is dry, the birds go looking for water and refuge,” Cameron Webb, an entomologist and tasked with investigating mosquitos carrying diseases for the CDC, told The Guardian. “You get this combination of factors that means not only are conditions suitable for mosquitoes, but also the birds that carry the virus are more likely to be in higher concentration closer to where people live.” He said that mosquitos succeed in dry areas because the water becomes stagnant, and easier to breed on, saying, “fish and other other animals that live in system die and mosquitoes have free rein.” The effect is has on other insects is similar to the ones it has on bears.