DAVIDSON COUNTY, Tenn. — East Tennessee's beloved black bear population continues to grow, but one adventurous black bear is treading unfamiliar ground -- going where few wild bears have gone before in the modern day: Middle Tennessee.
Bears are a fact of life in East Tennessee and Appalachia, but in Middle Tennessee -- they are downright rare to nonexistent. The TWRA said there is no known established bear population in the middle of the state.
So when a Davidson County hunter captured a black bear roaming on his trail camera, he was a bit surprised to say the least.
The TWRA said the photos were taken in an area off of Hunter's Lane between I-65 and I-24 just north of Nashville. The bear also appears to be there to stay, as they said there has been a bear hanging out in the area all fall and believe this is the same one.
"He’s not moving very far and it appears he might be here to stay,” TWRA Captain Dale Grandstaff said.
Black bears have been known to infrequently wander west of the plateau infrequently, but generally their established range is within the mountains, foothills, and northern reaches of the Cumberland Plateau.
They've also been known to roam down into the East Tennessee valley seasonally, and the TWRA believes those sightings will only grow more common as their population size continues to grow and bears seek out new territory.
TWRA recommendations:
-Never feed or approach bears-- this includes carefully managing sources of human food or garbage to make sure the bears can't access it or aren't attracted to the area. When camping in bear country, keep all food stored in a vehicle and away from tents.
-If you live in a town near black bear habitats, you should not store food, garbage or other recyclables in areas accessible to bears. You also should avoid feeding birds or other wildlife where bears are active.
-Outdoor pets should only be fed a portion they will completely consume, and keeping grills and smokers cleaned and stored securely will also help deter bears.
-If you do encounter a bear, remove whatever attracted the bear to come into your area. There is almost always a safe escape route when bears enter towns. Crowd control is the initial concern as the behavior of a cornered bear can be unpredictable. Immediately report to the TWRA or local police any sightings of bears within areas of human population centers.
-While black bears are usually tolerant of humans, they should always be treated as wild animals, whether in residential or backcountry areas. Black bears are rarely aggressive towards people and typically go out of their way to avoid contact, however as human development continues and bear numbers increase, occasional interactions will be unavoidable.