While viral videos show black bears swimming in residential pools or trying to navigate a hammock, the reality is that bears can be dangerous and will likely venture to homes in search of easy meals.
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is reminding Virginia residents to secure potential food sources to reduce bear encounters in neighborhoods and near homes.
Natural foods can be scarce during the early spring, so bears often look for easy food sources. Some of which could include your garbage, compost pile, barbeque grills, birdseed and pet food stored outside. Keeping these items secured will encourage a bear to move along and continue foraging for natural foods.
Steps to avoid attracting black bears near your home
- Secure garbage: Keep in a locked shed or inside until collected or use a bear resistant container
- Take down birdfeeders
- Secure pet and/or livestock feed in bear resistant containers or inside locked sheds
- Clean up porches/decks: Clean grills, remove any potential food sources, and remember a screened-in porch is not a “secure” storage area from a bear’s point of view
- Never leave food, trash or pet/livestock feed inside your vehicle
Bear conflict calls
In 2024, nearly 2,200 bear conflict calls were recorded by the Wildlife Conflict Helpline.
The most common types of conflict calls involved:
- unsecured trash (30 percent)
- conflict calls involved birdfeeders (10 percent)
- complaints to chickens/chicken feed made up 5% percent of all conflict calls
Bear cubs should be left alone
In addition to adult bears being more active this time of year, it’s also the time when females with cubs begin to emerge from their winter den and start exploring the landscape.
During this time, bear cubs can become separated from their mothers for short periods of time. In almost all instances, no intervention is necessary, and the cubs should be left alone.
When a female bear with cubs perceives a threat, whether due to barking dogs, people in the area, or otherwise, she will often “tree” her cubs. The cubs will scamper high into the treetops and await guidance from their mother on when it is safe to come back down. The female will often leave the area, circling back periodically to check for when she feels the area is secure. If you see cubs in a tree and no female in the area, you should leave the area immediately. The female will return (often at night) and call the cubs back down when she feels there is no immediate threat to her or the cubs. Keeping the area free of disturbance (humans and particularly dogs) is critical for the female to be able to return and collect her cubs.
More information
- Never attempt to handle or capture a black bear cub found on your property. If the cub has a visible injury, is lethargic, or has been seen in the same location for more than 24 hours, contact the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources Wildlife Conflict Helpline at 1-855-571-9003.
- For more information on black bears in Virginia, visit the DWR website.
- Residents can contact the Wildlife Conflict Helpline at 1-855-571-9003 to report any concerns about bears in their area and receive additional advice on preventing and mitigating wildlife conflicts.
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Crystal Graham
