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Bear Encounters on the Rise

As populations increase, run-ins grow also

By Wesley Oliver, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 13, 2009 6:41 PM CDT

(Newser) – Most bears fear people, yet they are increasingly seen rummaging through garbage, pillaging bird feeders, and even attacking us humans, the AP reports. Some analysts blame state bans on bear hunting, which allowed the US bear population to more than double between 1989 and 2006, jumping from 165,000 to more than 350,000. One ecologist calls it “quite a phenomenal range expansion of the black bear.”

Bears aren’t becoming more aggressive, but a survey found nearly 20,000 reported bear-human conflicts in 37 states 3 years ago. Experts advise bear-weary people to put trash out only on pick-up days, keep pet food indoors, and hang bird feeders out of their reach. And bear in mind that if the beast sees you, “it would rather flee than fight,” says a biologist.

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An undated handout photo released by the Kentucky Department of Parks shows a bear raiding a garbage can. (AP Photo/via Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Dave Huff)

An undated handout photo released by the Kentucky Department of Parks shows a bear climbing on a pickup truck. (AP Photo/via Kentucky Dept. of Parks)

John Hasford, aged 7, looks at a Black Bear's head which is part of a exhibition of specimens from endangered species in Dublin. (AP Photo Julien Behal-pa)

In this Friday, May 8, 2009 picture, black bears eat out of a regular garbage can after tearing the lid off at the Alaska Zoo. (AP Photo/Al Grillo)

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You've got bears moving into areas where people live and you've got people moving into areas where bears live. Both of those scenarios frequently involve people with little experience living around bears. - Mark Ternent, bear biologist

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Bear Encounters on the Rise