North Carolina wildlife officials are warning the public to .
There is a population of at least 20,000 Black bears in the state. Most are found in mountain and coastal regions. As temperatures begin to warm in March and April, bears become more active.
鈥淪o, the first thing that we want to know about bears is that we should never try to feed them intentionally, or even give them access to foods around us,鈥� said Falyn Owens, a wildlife biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 鈥淚t's really not good for them, and it can create a situation where we can have negative encounters with bears that we want to avoid. These are preventable situations.鈥�
Owens said adult bears can also be defensive of their cubs, which is another reason not to approach bear cubs. Sometimes people who find bear cubs without their mother present assume they have been orphaned or abandoned.
鈥淥ur major concern is that it's pretty normal for bears to leave their cubs alone, sometimes for several hours,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o, we want to make sure people know that that's normal and there's no reason to get involved.鈥�
Owens said although the Triangle doesn鈥檛 have an established bear population, young juvenile male bears could possibly be seen roaming in Durham or Raleigh. To learn more information about Black bears, visit .
