Highlands mayor designates May as ‘Bear Aware Month’

By Cynthia Strain, chairwoman of WNCA’s B.E.A.R. Task Force

Highlands is about to get a lot smarter about bears since Mayor Pat Taylor signed a proclamation designating May as Bear Aware Month.

With more than 10,000 black bears in North Carolina, it is not surprising that human/bear encounters and their attendant problems are becoming more common. Even though a bear will naturally try to avoid humans, we keep putting temptations in their paths. This is dangerous, as people in central Florida are finding out the hard way.

In December 2013 and again in April 2014, women were attacked by black bears while walking down the street or being on their own property. In the first case, a woman was walking her dog. Even though garbage was not present, bears had been in the neighborhood going through trashcans. In the second case (Lake Mary, Fla.) five bears were going through rubbish left in an open garage when one of them mauled the homeowner.

It is bad enough that two women were seriously injured. Worse is that nine bears (at least) were killed as a result. Think about it: nine bears lost their lives because humans were careless with their waste!

The bears that were targeted by state wildlife officers were killed because they showed no fear of humans, and thus, were considered potentially dangerous.

We are fortunate that this hasn’t happened yet in Highlands. Today more and more people realize their responsibility in properly managing their waste, their birdfeeders, their BBQ’s, and their pets. That is the only way we will be able to live in peace with our bear neighbors.

For the month of May, the B.E.A.R. Task Force will have weekly articles about bears in the Highlander Newspaper. Next week look for one about bear family life by Kathy Sherrard, volunteer educator with B.E.A.R. and Appalachian Bear Rescue.

If you want more information, pick up one of our brochures on living and hiking safely in bear country at the Post Office, Town Hall, Chamber of Commerce, Mill Creek Gallery and Mountain Heritage.