Black bears have recently been spotted in Hickman, Wilson, Sumner and Dickson counties, areas outside the animals’ traditional range on the Cumberland Plateau and in East Tennessee.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency report young Black bears leave their mothers each spring and early summer to establish their own territories. During that time, they may wander into unfamiliar areas.
If a bear lingers in a neighborhood, wildlife officials know it has likely found an easy food source, such as unsecured garbage, pet food or bird feeders. In Dickson County, a Black bear recently wandered into Alexandria Hampton’s backyard on Sycamore Road, where it was captured on a trail camera eating bird seed from a feeder. The bear has also been spotted nearby off Pond Road…