Bear spotted in Montgomery, Davidson County
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A bear has been spotted trekking through the mid-state this month.
The Black bear has been captured on trail camera videos in Montgomery County, near Clarksville, on August 25, and in Davidson County, near Joelton, on August 15. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency believes this is the same bear seen in Logan County, Kentucky, on August 11.
TWRA spokesman Barry Cross says, “It is not unusual for a young bear to travel a long distance seeking an area to call his home range. Quite often, cubs that reach 1-2 years of age are kicked out of the maternal group and must go and establish an area for themselves and they can and will cover a lot of territory during that time.”
The TWRA says, if you see a bear, observe it from a distance, alter you route of travel, return the way you came or wait until it leaves the area. CLICK HERE for more tips.
If anyone captures a photo of a black bear or sees one in your area, report it to the TWRA.
“Bears are expanding their range in Tennessee from the north and east and while it will probably be years before the middle-Tennessee area is home to a breeding population of black bears we will continue to experience this type of activity,” said Cross.
According to the TWRA, Black bears once inhabited the entire state but, the fear of threat paired with unregulated hunting eliminated bears from all but 11 mountainous counties in Tennessee. Since the 1970s, bear population numbers have steadily increased to the current estimate of approximately 6000 bears.
