A variety of didgeridoos. Photo/Wikimedia Commons It might not
pass the sniff test, as it were, but anecdotal evidence suggests
our bears like music. Not all music, though. As it turns out,
the thing that really sends them is the didgeridoo—a long,
largely monotonal instrument invented by and played by the
indigenous peoples of Australia. This peculiar bit of evidence
came last week from Steve Searles, Mammoth’s wildlife
specialist, who at no point ever allows himself to think that
he’s seen it all in the bear world. Searles said he received a
911 call at 6:30 a.m. last Tuesday. The dispatcher said someone
had reported a bear problem in Mammoth. Searles jumped into his
pickup, raced to the scene and witnessed something he’d never
seen before. “There were two gentlemen, still in their, um,
sleeping gear, on their deck playing didgeridoos,” he said. In
front of them, on the grass, was a passive bear, who seemed to
be enjoying the impromptu concert. “Did you call this to 911?”
Searles asked, his incredulity on t