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For up-to-date information on North Carolina licenses, regulations and other wildlife resources, please visit the agency’s website NCWildlife.org.
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 29, 2011) – As the weather warms, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is offering steps to avoid conflicts with black bears emerging from hibernation.
The Commission is cautioning people to take care not to feed bears that wander into yards, parks, onto sidewalks or in other residential areas. Feeding a bear rewards it for coming near people and their homes and increases the likelihood that the bear will approach again.
While black bears are rarely aggressive toward people, they can become bold when they grow accustomed to feeding on human-provided foods, such as garbage and bird seed. Often, they lose their fear of people.
Contrary to popular belief, wildlife employees will not trap and relocate bears, because this would simply relocate the problem, rather than solve it. The solution is to modify habits, such as how you feed your pet(s) or where you store your garbage, before a problem begins.
Residents can avoid problems by:
For more information and more tips on black bears in North Carolina, read “Preventing and Resolving Black Bear Conflicts”.