LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Bear advocates are warning drivers to be extra cautious after six bear cubs have been killed in vehicle collisions in Lake Tahoe over the last two weeks.

On a particular street in South Lake Tahoe, white signs, staggered one bold black word after the other, say, “SLOW DOWN[.] A CUB DIED HERE!”

The series of six signs leads to what appears to be a memorial with a large teddy bear placed on a tree.

Of the six, three young bears were killed in South Lake Tahoe neighborhoods, including in the Tahoe Keys area, which the Tribune previously reported on. Another cub was reportedly hit on Highway 89 on the West Shore, and another two were killed along Highway 267.

Increased bear activity is normal this time of year. Why? The Nevada Department of Wildlife explains that starting in late summer and early fall, bears significantly increase their food intake as they prepare for winter in a process known as hyperphagia. That means they spend upwards of 20 hours a day looking for food and crossing roads more frequently.

While increased collisions are normal this time of year due to this increased activity, the BEAR League says six cubs in two weeks is particularly high.

“We’ve been running around picking up little baby dead bear cubs,” Ann Bryant with the BEAR League said, describing it as exhausting and depressing, with her volunteers going home in the evening in tears.

Bear advocates say that if a bear crosses the road, motorists should be prepared for another bear to follow. In particular, when a mother bear is traveling with cubs, she may cross first, with one or more cubs following behind.

For more information on living with bears, visit tahoebears.org and bearwise.org.