A black bear recently wandered onto a South Texas ranch near Benavides, surprising property owners who later spotted the animal on a game camera, according to 3News.
The owner of a Duval County ranch shared images with the Corpus Christi television station showing the bear investigating a feeder. The sighting is unusual for a region that does not have an established black bear population.
Benavides is located about 70 miles west of Corpus Christi, roughly a one-hour drive from the Coastal Bend city.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials told 3News that black bears are listed as a threatened species in Texas and have gradually returned to parts of the state through natural dispersal after decades of population declines caused by hunting and habitat loss.
“Black bears are a state-threatened species. We’ve seen them naturally dispersing back into Texas in recent years,” said Lerrin Johnson, a Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist.
Black bears are most commonly found in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas, particularly around Big Bend. However, wildlife officials have documented an increasing number of sightings elsewhere in the state as populations recover.
Young bears can travel long distances in search of food, habitat and mates, sometimes turning up in areas where the species is rarely seen.
According to Johnson, the bear photographed near Benavides was likely a young animal exploring new territory and searching for food.
“It could be a young sub-adult that is being curious or just trying to find new habitat or food sources,” Johnson said.
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, the last documented black bear sighting in Duval County occurred in October 2020.
Wildlife officials generally consider bear sightings in South Texas to involve transient animals moving through the region rather than members of an established local population.
Black bears are omnivores that primarily eat plant material, but they are also attracted to insects, carrion, pet food, livestock feed, garbage and deer feeders.
After spotting the bear, Thomas contacted Texas Parks and Wildlife, a step officials encourage whenever a bear is seen.
“We do encourage folks to leave wildlife wild and keep their distance,” Johnson said. “Reach out to Texas Parks and Wildlife, whether that be your local game warden or your local biologist.”
Wildlife officials urge residents not to approach or feed bears and to report sightings to local game wardens or biologists. Texas Parks and Wildlife also recommends resources such as BearWise, a website that offers information on how to safely coexist with bears.