RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – Black near sightings are on the rise across North Carolina, with reports coming in from both rural and urban areas. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission attributes the increase to seasonal movement patterns, as bears become more active in search of food.
Commission biologist Greg Batts explains that June marks the breeding season for bears, leading to increased activity, especially among young males.
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“Typically, the bears that we see are young males. The females stay with their cubs for a year; when they come out of that den after year one, they kick out the male cub,” Batts told the WPTF Afternoon News.
These young bears are then forced to find new territories, which often leads them into more urbanized areas.
“They tell them to go find their own place in the world, so then they start wandering around all over the place. With our bear population being the way that it is—12,000 bears on the coast, 8,000 in the mountains—there’s not a lot of places for them. They move into these more urban areas where it’s a fragmented habitat,” said Batts.
Batts says that Hyde or Carroll county have some of the densest bear populations on the planet.
“We think we have about 12,000 out on the coast and then 8,000 up in the mountains, and then in the middle part of the state we’re just starting to fill in everywhere,” said Batts.
Understanding bear behavior is crucial for coexistence. Batts mentions that examining a bear’s tooth can reveal its age.
“Every bear that we can get our hands on… we go to grab the tooth. We can tell exactly how old the bear is from the tooth because bears have periods where they are feeding very graciously and then they go to lay down (not hibernation) and they have a period of no growth at all which shows up very clearly in the tooth,” said Batts.
Looking at statistics, you’re more likely to be bit by a dog or struck by lightening than be bit by a bear. You’re as much a threat to the bear as it is to you. Batts says it all depends on the landscape if a bear is going to move in.
“Typically if a bear moves into an area and all it’s doing is bumping into people and there’s dog’s barking at it, it’s not going to stay there long it’s going to move on and try to find somewhere quieter,” said Batts.
Despite their size, black bears are generally timid creatures. Batts emphasizes that they are more likely to avoid humans than confront them.
“It’s hard for people to enjoy it. They think ‘oh this bear is going to attack me, it’s going to attack my pets,’ or whatever but in general with a wild bear you can clap your hands at it and it’s going to run in another direction. Just don’t corner it,” said Batts.
To minimize encounters, residents are advised to secure food sources, remove bird feeders, and keep trash in bear-proof containers. For more information on safely coexisting with bears, visit the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s website or call their Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401.