The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission 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…