The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has received reports of bear sightings recently from Rocky Mount, Durham and Hillsborough.
Add Henderson to that list.
A juvenile black bear was captured – on video – as it ran across the back parking lot at Maria Parham Health. Social media posts show the bear, probably a male, as it moved quickly into a nearby wooded area.
Bear sightings, while not uncommon in North Carolina, aren’t everyday occurrences, either. Wildlife biologists say American black bears in the Piedmont fall into two categories: resident or transient.
The youngster who scampered across the hospital grounds most likely fell into the transient category.
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.
“Historically, black bears were abundant throughout the state, including the Piedmont region,” said NCWRC black bear biologist Jenna 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.”
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.
The Wildlife Resources Commission 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.
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.
NCWRC BearWise Coordinator Ashley Hobbs said, “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.
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
For more information visit:
BearWise.org
NCWRC Bear Species Page
