Allowing bears access to food is increasing bear population, experts say

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission BearWise coordinator Ashley Hobbs said experts are trying to keep the bear population across the state the same as it is today.

READ MORE: ASHEVILLE NEIGHBORS SURPRISED THAT BEAR INJURED RESIDENT AFTER YEARS OF CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

According to the latest N.C. Wildlife data, the bear population in the mountain region is about 9,000. She says managing the population in Asheville is difficult compared to other cities, since there are certain hunting regulations in place.

Experts are now relying on people to reduce the amount of food available to bears.

READ MORE: WHY CAPTURE THE BEAR THAT INJURED ASHEVILLE RESIDENT? WILDLIFE EXPERTS EXPLAIN

“What we found through the urban bear study through N.C. State University is that the extra calories, the human-provided calories, are artificially increasing the reproductive rate of the bears. So, by making sure that we’re securing food attractants like birdfeeders, hummingbird feeders, garbage, we can reduce the calories and ultimately bring our reproductive rate in Asheville back to a more stable level,” Hobbs said.

Click here to learn more about keeping bears out from BearWise.

For wildlife assistance or to report bear activity, call the N.C. Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401.