Allowing bears access to food is increasing bear population, experts say
Fri, August 21, 2026 at 7:38 AM
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FILE – A mother bear and her cub roam around in an Asheville neighborhood. (Photo credit: WLOS staff)
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) —North Carolina Wildlife Reare trying to keep the bear population across the state the same as it is today
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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
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“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 theN.C. Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401
