Black bears lumber into surprising places

‘They’re everywhere’

Once confined to the mountains and remote coastal swamps, black bears are being spotted in parts of South Carolina for the first time in generations.

Wildlife managers and scientists say black bears not only are increasing their territory but are growing in numbers in the Palmetto State.

“They’re everywhere,” said Skip Still, a state biologist who keeps bear statistics.

Since 2004, people have encountered bears in 36 of the state’s 46 counties, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. In contrast, people in only a handful of counties reported seeing bears in 2004.

The number of black bears declined after European settlers arrived in South Carolina. The settlers cleared land and hunted the animals as pests.

Now, maturing forests provide better habitat for bears, which thrive in woodlands filled with nuts and berries, experts say.

The public’s increased sensitivity to protecting bears also may be contributing to the animals’ rebound.

In some cases, bears have wandered into backyards. Other times, they have ventured into commercial areas. Most of the counties around Columbia have had at least one report of a black bear since 2004, DNR statistics show.

SEEING THE NUMBERS RISE

The shy bruins have been spotted most often in Upstate counties just east and south of South Carolina’s mountains, historically a stronghold for bears in the state.

The Department of Natural Resources confirmed reports of a bear in a steak-house parking lot near Anderson about two years ago.

Reported bear sightings in Anderson County jumped from two in 2004 to 23 this year, DNR statistics show. In Spartanburg County, the number rose from none in 2004 to 57 so far this year, according to DNR statistics.

But bear sightings aren’t just confined to the Upstate. Earlier this year, Lexington County residents videotaped a small black bear near Gilbert.

Some of the sightings may be because people are encroaching on bear habitat or because some of the same bears are moving through multiple counties.

It’s also possible South Carolina has had more bears than originally thought and people are simply reporting them more frequently. Wildlife cameras, increasingly used by hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, have captured images of bears in counties where they weren’t known to live.

State and federal wildlife experts say all of the reported sightings they receive, plus recent research, suggests an increase in the bear population.

Two years ago, the DNR revised its population estimates of South Carolina bears to about 1,200 from several hundred. It based part of its revision on bear surveys.

Black bears, which can weigh up to 600 pounds in South Carolina, aren’t typically aggressive —no one has been injured in the state by a bear in recorded history — but people should be wary when they see one, agency officials say. Experts advise people who encounter a bear to back slowly away from the animal. More than likely, the bear will leave.

Because of the bears’ spread, the DNR developed guidelines this year telling its staff how to deal with bears that come in contact with people.

The agency prefers not to relocate bears, but to discourage the use of things, such as open garbage cans, that attract the animals to areas populated by humans. DNR officials also encourage people not to feed bears. Occasionally, the agency will kill bears that are considered dangerous.

“If you take away the enticements that attract black bears, such as garbage cans, bird feeders, pet food, barbecue grills, compost piles and similar things, then you will likely not have problems with black bears,” DNR wildlife biologist Deana Ruth said.

EXTENDING THEIR TERRITORY

Frank Van Manen, a highly regarded bear biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said the South’s once denuded landscape now contains mature forests with plenty of shelter, as well as nuts and fruits. Parts of the Southeast are seeing increases in black bear populations, he said. The population growth has been particularly steady in coastal North Carolina.

“If you look at the bigger picture, it is fair to say that for the last 20 years, and especially the last decade, we’ve seen a very definite increase in range and with it, also an increase in numbers,” Van Manen said.

Bears may be moving into new territory because their traditional home counties — Pickens, Oconee, Horry and Georgetown — are getting too crowded with bears, biologists say. When too many of the animals populate one area, younger ones will move away.

Recent evidence shows bears are reproducing in more counties, as well. At least nine counties now have reproducing populations, compared to about five a decade ago.

The DNR recently added Anderson, Spartanburg, Berkeley and Charleston counties to the list with reproducing bears. Horry, Georgetown, Pickens, Oconee and Greenville have had reproducing populations.

The DNR also documented a mother bear and cubs in Dorchester County for the first time this year, Ruth said.

South Carolina allows a two-week hunting season for black bears in the mountains at the end of October each year. That has been a lightning rod for arguments among sportsmen, environmentalists and animal welfare groups, which say the sport is cruel and unnecessary.

But Still said there appear to be enough bears to withstand hunting pressures. Since 2004, the number of confirmed bear sightings has risen in Oconee, Pickens and Greenville counties from about 40 to 212 this year.

This year, hunters killed 48 bears, just 10 off the state record set in 2007.

In the cooler months after hunting season, bears are less active in South Carolina. They don’t hibernate like bears in colder climates, but they do become more sluggish because there’s not as much food available.

To learn more about the bear population in South Carolina, Van Manen and researchers from the DNR have launched a study near Myrtle Beach. One study in the late 1990s predicted bears near the booming coastal resort would be wiped out by 2010. The current study involves taking the DNA of hair samples collected from bears as they move through coastal forest and bogs.

Since each animal’s DNA is unique, researchers will be able to tell how many different bears exist. They also can tell if the S.C. bears are related to those in North Carolina’s coastal plain.

Van Manen said results of the study are expected by spring.

Ruth said she’s sure the bear population is increasing because motorists killed dozens of bears last year near Myrtle Beach in vehicle collisions.

Preliminary results of the state and federal study show plenty of bears taking bait during field research. Researchers put out day-old Krispy Kreme donuts to attract bears this year.

“We have to learn to live with bears,” Ruth said. “They are here and they are not leaving.”