SMITHS GROVE, Ky. (WBKO) – South central Kentucky has seen a growing number of bear sightings over the past month, with some bears rummaging through residential trash in the middle of the night.
Security video captured bears visiting the Smith Grove home of Patrick McKinney two days in a row last weekend. McKinney said it was the first time a bear had appeared on his property in more than 20 years of living there.
‘I have never seen a bear up close like that ever’
“We’ve been here over 20 years. And I’ve heard rumors of bears and things like that. But I mean, we’ve had peacocks, turkey families, deer, everything else out here. I have never seen a bear up close like that ever,” McKinney said.
The bear left scratches on McKinney’s trash can and flipped it over, despite the can being heavy and full. McKinney noted the bear did not appear to be fully grown.
“One of the videos, it flipped the trash can over kind of violently. And it’s not a huge bear. So that kind of display of power is a little odd to have something that large wandering and lurking around in the woods here,” McKinney said.
McKinney said his family feels safe and plans to do a better job securing their trash going forward.
What attracts bears to homes
John Hast, Bear Program Coordinator for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, said unsecured food sources are what most often draw bears to residential properties.
“Think about where your pet food’s at. Think about what your bird feeders are doing and just try to eliminate any chance that bear’s getting a meal and he’s going to keep moving,” Hast said.
Hast said the rise in sightings is not surprising, given the region’s growing bear population.
“The months of June and July are when you’re going to see these kind of bear sightings. We’re seeing a growing bear population, both in that part of Kentucky, but probably more importantly, that part of Tennessee, where they’re moving more over into central Tennessee,” Hast said.
For more information about bears, visit BearWise.org.
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