The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has received a report from a Fayetteville resident of a bear in his yard caught on a security camera. Yesterday, a Rocky Mount bear was reportedly hit by a car. Last week, a resident in Hillsborough reported seeing a bear getting into trash, a bear in Rockingham was seen crossing a residential street, and a deceased bear was reported on the side of a road in Reidsville and appeared to have been hit by a motor vehicle. In April, NCWRC received video of a bear wandering a neighborhood in Durham.
NCWRC recommends BearWise ® as a resource for urban and rural communities to prepare for bear encounters. BearWise also offers methods to deter bears from unwanted visits to homes and public establishments.
Wildlife biologists expect there will be more sightings and say it is normal behavior this time of year. American black bears in the Piedmont Region fall into two camps: resident or transient. Resident bears live here year-round in established breeding populations defined by females with cubs. Transient bears pass through seasonally or as they search for their own territories, which is highest during spring and summer months. Reports of bear sightings spike from Memorial Day weekend through early summer.
According to NCWRC Black Bear Biologist Jenna Malzahn, while there is no population estimate for bears that live in or travel through the Piedmont region, transient bears have been observed in every county in North Carolina, including the large cities.
“Historically, black bears were abundant throughout the state, including the Piedmont region,” said Malzhan. “The Piedmont region currently supports a very low density of bears, with most being transient. But thanks to conservation efforts, black bear populations across the state have rebounded over the past couple of decades and we are also experiencing a recent expansion of a breeding population into this region.”
Currently, most Piedmont black bears are primarily found on the fringes of established mountain and coastal bear ranges, as well as bears crossing over the Virginia state line.
NCWRC maintains an occupied range map, illustrating confirmed reports of breeding female bears. NCWRC relies on harvest and mortality reports as well as public reports of bear sightings to document bears in the Piedmont.
“Bears are just biologically doing what they do,” said District 5 Biologist Dr. Joe Folta, whose district spans 11 counties from Chatham up to the Virgina state line, including major cities like Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Burlington and Asheboro. Folta has already responded to a report earlier this year of a black bear roaming through a Durham subdivision.
“The bear sighted in Durham disappeared as quickly as it appeared, which is often the case if they don’t find an easy source of food,” said Folta.
District 3 Biologist Greg Batts manages 11 counties from Wake County to the Virginia border and east to I-95.
“It’s not that bears can’t live around people, it’s that people aren’t as tolerant of bears living around them in the Piedmont,” said Batts.
Rupert Medford is the biologist for District 6, covering 10 counties in the southern Piedmont region down to the South Carolina border and as far west as Mecklenburg County.
“A bear traveling to or through a highly populated area, even a place like Charlotte, is not an emergency. The best thing you can do is leave it alone, do not approach the bear, and let it travel on through.” said Medford.
Conservation Biologist and Piedmont BearWise Coordinator Jamie Sasser said the agency is proactively expanding the focus of its BearWise program to the entire state as bear ranges continue to expand.
“Regardless of if you call the Piedmont home or are on a weekend getaway to the mountains or simply enjoying the coast, BearWise has resources that help people and bears coexist safely,” Sasser said.
BearWise Basics include:
• Never feed or approach a bear.
• Secure food, garbage and recycling.
• Remove bird feeders when bears are active.
• Never leave pet food outdoors and keep dogs leashed.
• Clean and store grills.
• Inform your neighbors.
NCWRC says implementing BearWise Basics minimizes interactions and conflicts with other wildlife, such as raccoons, coyotes, opossums, foxes and skunks. It also encourages a transient bear to move on rather than remain in an unwanted area.
“Since adopting the BearWise program in 2018, we’ve had promising results with encouraging folks in the mountain communities to follow BearWise recommendations,” said Ashley Hobbs, the agency’s Statewide BearWise Coordinator. “Most people in Western North Carolina have at least heard of BearWise, and many use it as a resource to successfully coexist with bears. It’s better to be proactive than reactive when it comes to wildlife encounters, thus we want BearWise to become familiar to the rest of the state. Urban expansion will mean more bear encounters. We want safety for both humans and bears, and we know BearWise provides the tools to make it happen.”
Learning about the BearWise Basics is important information for those living in the Piedmont, and for those travelling to other parts of the state.
“BearWise doesn’t just provide information for living alongside bears in residential areas. It also offers advice for vacationing in bear country.” explains Hobbs. “In North Carolina, you’re just as likely to encounter a bear at the beach, as you are in the mountains.”
Hobbs suggests brushing up on reminders when planning summer vacations, such as how to store food and garbage, slow down when driving and what to do during a bear encounter. A bear sighting on vacation can be an un-bear-ably memorable experience, especially when you are prepared.
For more information visit:
BearWise.org
NCWRC Bear Species Page