A bear was recently spotted in the Durham area.
The Fenn family’s blink camera captured the incident near Sandy Creek Park. It appears to be a black bear, a species that is increasingly entering the Triangle.
“I’m glad he didn’t break in, that was my first thought!” Feng Xinyu said. “It detects movement of people, vehicles, etc. But this just showed movement, so he checked it.”
Fenn showed the bear video to her children, 8-year-old Adam and 6-year-old Avery.
“I was surprised because I had never seen a bear at home!” said Adam.
“Everyone was really surprised and amazed,” Avery said.
The family alerted the neighborhood and nearby school.
The bear sighting in Durham comes at a time when the state is expanding its awareness efforts, which are already well-known in the mountainous region. The campaign, known as BearWise®The move comes as bear populations are increasing across the state and the breeding population is inching closer to the Triangle.
Through this campaign, state officials are encouraging people in Raleigh, Durham and other Piedmont states to learn how to coexist with bears.
According to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, there are more than 20,000 bears in the state, and the population is growing at a rate of about 3 percent each year. Bears are already living and mating in Vance, Warren, Franklin, Edgecombe and Wilson counties, and are expanding their range by about 3 to 5 miles each year. This has led to an increase in conflicts with humans and calls to wildlife management officials.
To avoid this conflict, the Wildlife Resources Commission encourages people to be “Bear Wise” and follow guidelines set forth by state wildlife agency experts across the country.
Tips include rinsing trash cans, freezing food scraps with odors until trash day, and utilizing bird feeders when there is bear activity near your home.
District Biologist Joe Folta said, “The bears found in Durham disappeared as quickly as they appeared, which often happens when easy food sources are not found. People need to determine why the bear is there. Are there food sources or attractants? If the bear appears to be trying to stay, try to scare it away. Most bears can be spooked by just making loud noises.”
Greg Butts, a biologist with North Carolina Wildlife, said this is the time of year when you’ll see transient bears looking for new homes in the area during breeding season.
“They’re coming up the Neuse River, they’re coming up the Taal River,” Butts explained. “They come down from Falls Lake. There’s a lot of nature there.”
If you see a bear or have questions about wildlife, you can contact the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission through the Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401 or HWI@ncwildlife.gov.
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