Black bear movement and sightings common in spring

 Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency released warnings last week about black bear movements in the area, some of which have been posted on Facebook from sightings in surrounding counties.

According to a press release, TWRA receives more calls about black bears in late spring than any other time of year because young bears are striking out on their own and leaving their mothers in search of their own territory.  TWRA officials say that young bears may wander and find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings, which means they may end up in a highly-populated area.

Bears may be attracted to bird feeders, trash, bird baths, and pet food bowls with leftover food.  TWRA officials have stated that bears accustomed to foods provided by humans are easily conditioned and pose a greater threat.

Ben Layton, TWRA Region II Big Game biologist, said, “Bears cannot simply be relocated. Relocating a conditioned, dangerous bear to another area just moves the dangerous bear, and this isn’t an option.” Bears will travel impressive distances to return to an area where they easily found food. 

TWRA’s goal is to encourage people to understand that human behavior most often causes nuisance bear issues. People think they’re protecting something or helping  when they purposefully put out table scraps or leave feeders in their yards. However, they’re worsening a dangerous situation, according to Layton.

Following a few guidelines can decrease negative interactions and help bears stay wild. Bears accustomed to foods provided by humans are easily conditioned and are far more likely to lose their life.

Tips for living with bears:

• If you see a bear in your yard, look large and make a lot of noise, back slowly away.
• Never approach or follow a bear to take photos.
• Never purposefully feed bears.
• Remove all attractants from your yard including bird feeders, uneaten pet food and ripe fruits or garden vegetables.
• Store grills in a garage or outbuilding.
• Store trash and recycling in bear proof containers.
• Ask your neighbors to follow these guidelines.

Visit bearwise.org, a national site dedicated to reducing human-bear conflicts.