{"id":551,"date":"2026-05-23T19:36:53","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T19:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=551"},"modified":"2026-05-23T19:36:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T19:36:53","slug":"bears-are-making-a-comeback-in-north-carolina-what-to-do-if-you-encounter-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=551","title":{"rendered":"Bears are making a comeback in North Carolina. What to do if you encounter one"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n

Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

North Carolina\u2019s black bear population has made a comeback, and people are more likely to come across the bears than in years prior.<\/p>\n

Read more Man wanted in Charlotte woman\u2019s killing in NoDA arrested in Alabama, police say<\/a><\/p>\n

Jenna Malzahn, a black bear biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, said that the return of the bears is a great conservation success. The bears were extirpated, or intentionally eliminated from an area, decades ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack in the 1970s we were down into like 1,000 black bears in different pockets along the coast and the Pocosin forests, and then in the mountains as well,\u201d Malzahn said. \u201cTo be able to get back up to the population we have now is amazing, where we have bears all throughout the mountains, all throughout the coast, and now we\u2019re seeing some expansion of our breeding population into the Piedmont region as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission keeps a range map of where bears are not only seen, but are actively living and breeding, The Charlotte Observer previously reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is based on evidence of breeding females,\u201d Malzahn said. \u201cYou can have bears in every county in the state, you can find a bear in any part of the state. That doesn\u2019t mean bears are living in every county of the state, they could be transients kind of moving through.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Thursday, May 14, the NCWRC announced that the black bears are on the move throughout Central North Carolina. The group recommends using Bearwise, an organization created by biologists across the country to universalize the advice people are given about coexisting with bears, including black bears and grizzlies.<\/p>\n

Read more Rain cancels NASCAR Cup qualifying at Charlotte. Coke 600 starting lineup now set<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to keep yourself safe specifically around black bears.<\/p>\n

Malzahn said she recommends reading up on bears in your area on Bearwise, especially if you are in an area that has contained few bears over the last century. The NCWLRC wants to push the information on the website out especially to those on the coast and in the piedmont.<\/p>\n

Bearwise recommends six outdoor safety basics:<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cWe usually see seasonal spikes in the spring, early summer, and then in the fall for bears, and so it\u2019s not unheard of for the bears to show up in unusual places this time of year,\u201d Malzahn said.<\/p>\n

Bears can be drawn out of their documented range in search of food, or mates. The black bear is found in 60% of North Carolina, but can be found in places you might not expect, like crossing a Durham family\u2019s driveway last month.<\/p>\n

Bearwise recommends:<\/b><\/p>\n

Portions of this story were previously published<\/a> in The Charlotte Observer.<\/i><\/p>\n

Questions about life in North Carolina? Or have a tip or story idea you\u2019d like to share? The service journalism teams at The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer want to hear from you.<\/p>\n

Read more Driver dies at hospital days after head-on crash on a Charlotte road, police say<\/a><\/p>\n

You can submit your question by filling out this form<\/a><\/b>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With bears moving into piedmont and coastal areas, follow NCWRC and Bearwise advice: keep food secure, leash dogs, camp safely and carry bear spray.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nBears are making a comeback in North Carolina. 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