Black bear sightings reported in several Coast neighborhoods. Here’s why
Several reports of black bear sightings in residential areas across the Coast have spread on social media following last week’s torrential rainfall.
With sightings reported in Biloxi, Bay St. Louis and Gulfport, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is urging residents to take precautions.
Black bear program leader Anthony Ballard said items such as dog food, bird feeders, trash cans and grills can attract bears into neighborhoods.
“We ask that you pick up any sort of attractants,” Ballard said. “A bear has a sense of smell about seven times better than a bloodhound. So anything that a dog can find, a bear can find even better,” Ballard said.
Ballard said it’s important to maintain a safe distance and remain calm during an encounter. Black bears are not typically aggressive, he said.
“Make sure you give it room to escape where it is, to have an avenue to get away and just keep your distance,” Ballard said. “Any kind of wildlife can be dangerous, but black bears are not going to seek out any kind of conflict.”
Mississippi’s black bear population is growing, including in Coast counties. Ballard said May and June often bring increased bear activity because of the bears’ life cycle and mating behaviors.
“You have a lot of the young males that are making their way in the world for the first time, and then you have bigger males that are covering more ground and seeking out breeding opportunities,” Ballard said.
Ballard said Tropical Storm Arthur may also be a factor in the increased reports. Between Friday and Sunday, Jackson County alone recorded 20 inches of rainfall, with wind gusts up to 78 mph across the Coast.
“When there’s less available ground, because there’s more of it that’s flooded, you can definitely see some bears, or any wildlife for that matter, pushed up into areas where they have less cover,” Ballard said.
Coast residents also may be more likely to report sightings because bears are less common in the region, Ballard said.
“When it’s in an area like the Coast, they get reported by basically everybody that sees them,” he said.
Aggressive bear behavior should be reported to 1-800-BE-SMART, Ballard said. Nonaggressive sightings can be reported on the department’s website and on the Mississippi Black Bears Facebook page.
