The Richmond Observer – NWRC: Co-Existing with Black Bears in North Carolina: What you need to know to be BearWise

RALEIGH — The N.C Wildlife Assets Fee is already seeing a spike in black bear stories this spring. This comes as no shock because the state’s bear inhabitants has grown over the previous 50 years and the residential footprint has grown. Persons are shifting nearer into bear habitat and creating elevated alternatives for bears to strategy their property, particularly by leaving out meals sources.

Colleen Olfenbuttel, the Wildlife Fee’s black bear and furbearer biologist, provides some recommendation about how one can co-exist with black bears. She factors to BearWise, a nationwide academic program the Wildlife Fee employs that was developed by bear biologists. 

“Most bears that wander right into a residential space will rapidly retreat to their pure habitat, significantly if no meals supply is round. By following the six BearWise Fundamentals the general public can forestall potential conflicts and stay responsibly with bears.”

The six BearWise Fundamentals are:

• By no means feed or strategy a bear. Deliberately feeding bears or permitting them to search out something that smells or tastes like meals teaches bears to strategy houses and folks to search for extra. Bears will defend themselves if an individual will get too shut, so don’t danger your security and theirs.
• Safe meals, rubbish and recycling. Meals and meals odors entice bears, so don’t reward them with simply accessible meals or rubbish. Retailer luggage of trash inside cans in a storage, shed or different safe space; or use rubbish cans or trash containers with a safe latching system or which are bear resistant. Place trash exterior as late as potential on the morning of trash pick-up — not the night time earlier than.
• Take away fowl feeders when bears are lively. Birdseed, different grains and hummingbird feeders have excessive calorie content material making them very engaging to bears. Eradicating feeders is one of the best ways to keep away from creating conflicts with bears.
• By no means depart pet meals outdoor. Feed pets indoors when potential. Should you should feed pets exterior, feed in single parts and take away meals and bowls after feeding. Retailer pet meals the place bears can’t see or scent it.
• Clear and retailer grills. Clear grills after every use and ensure that all grease, fats and meals particles are eliminated, together with drip trays. Retailer clear grills and people who smoke in a safe space, like a storage or shed.
• Alert neighbors to bear exercise. Should you see bears within the space or proof of bear exercise, inform your neighbors and share details about how one can keep away from bear conflicts. Bears have tailored to residing close to individuals; now it’s as much as us to adapt to residing close to bears.

 When requested about different ideas, Olfenbuttel reiterated just a few finest practices.

“Entice birds and different pollinators slightly than bears by eradicating fowl feeders and utilizing native vegetation, pure meals, shelter, water and protected nesting websites. Think about using a bear-resistant trash container, altering your present container to turn out to be bear-resistant, or securing your present trash container in constructing and placing it out the morning of pick-up. And lastly, discuss to neighbors and take into account turning into a acknowledged BearWise group or enterprise. BearWise communities decide to co-existing responsibly with bears, securing all potential meals sources and figuring out when and how one can report bear exercise.”

North Carolina’s bear populations are concentrated within the Mountains and Coastal Plain, however the inhabitants is increasing into the Piedmont and sightings are more and more frequent, often in Could, June and July. That is the time when younger bears, referred to as yearlings, are on the lookout for a brand new house after being pushed away by the grownup feminine as she begins breeding once more.

“Whereas these younger bears, sometimes males, might look like wandering aimlessly round, they don’t seem to be essentially misplaced,” Olfenbuttel stated. “Most are merely exploring their new environment and can transfer on, significantly if they’re left alone and there’s no meals round.”

In virtually all instances, the Wildlife Fee advises that the best choice is a hands-off strategy, permitting the bear to go away by itself.  

The Wildlife Fee doesn’t lure and relocate bears. There are not any distant locations to maneuver bears and relocation will be treacherous for the bear, as they’re unfamiliar with the brand new place and the meals assets, inflicting them to try the journey again to the place they have been captured, which they take into account house. Throughout that journey, they encounter numerous risks, together with crossing busy roads, typically leading to vehicle-bear collisions.  Nevertheless, relocation shouldn’t be wanted, as human actions and conduct are often the reason for the issue and one of the best answer is to implement the BearWise Fundamentals.

For extra details about residing responsibly with black bears go to BearWise.org. For questions concerning bears and different human-wildlife interactions, contact the Fee’s NC Wildlife Helpline, Monday by way of Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., at 866-318-2401 or e mail This e mail tackle is being protected against spambots. You want JavaScript enabled to view it..