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Bear care
As winter gives way to spring, residents and visitors should prepare for increased bear activity as black bears are emerging from their winter slumber. Many reports of bear sightings are circulating around East Tennessee, which is not unusual considering it is bear country. According to TWRA Black Bear Coordinator Dan Gibbs, increased activity should be expected this time of year, as it is the season when they’ve emerged from their winter dens and are in search of food to replenish their energy and fatten back up. A black bear has been recently seen in the Greeneville area, which has caused some alarm for the city’s residents. TWRA is taking the opportunity to educate other residents across the state about living alongside bears. In general, citizens and visitors alike should be proactive in their efforts to ensure that bears remain wild, thus reducing bear-human interactions. Nationwide bear management experience has clearly shown that bears attracted to human food sources, or that are deliberately fed by humans, have a relatively short life. The survival rate of bears receiving food from people is likely a fraction of that of “wild” bears that do not have repeated contact with humans. The deliberate and accidental feeding of bears is socially irresponsible and causes animals to become conditioned and habituated to people. Bears that habituate to human presence eventually become a threat to human safety and the end result is that such bears are often killed by intolerant or fearful landowners or have to be destroyed. The fact that “garbage kills bears” is irrefutable.
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Return to Today's News Stories - Front PageThursday, April 29, 2021
US 411 Project News
Mill Creek Wildfire Update
More Bad News For Smokies' Fans
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Mill Creek Wildfire doubles in size
Goodbye Smokies?
Keep Cocke County Beautiful
Cocke Co. High School Remote Learning today!
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
The fireflies are coming!
Burnout Operations on MillCreek wildfire today
Gas prices drop
Tennessee keeps all US House seats
Monday, April 26, 2021
Boat accident victim ID'd
Traffic stop yields drug arrest
Cocke County Wildfires
Friday, April 23, 2021
Leaving WNPC
Mathis announces candidacy
Newport drug roundup
Cruise Against Cancer
Jobless numbers
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