Dept. of Wildlife Resources reminds Virginians that bears are more active in spring Black bears (Source: Wildlife Center of Virginia) By NBC12 Newsroom | April 14, 2021 at 8:39 PM EDT - Updated April 14 at 8:52 PM
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - The Department of Wildlife Resources is reminding Virginians that bears are more active in the springtime.
DWR said that black bears are emerging from their winter dens and are looking for an easy meal.
Homeowners are urged to make sure all potential food sources for bears, such as garbage, grills, birdfeeders, are secure so that it limits the chances of a bear encounter.
“The goal is to make human sources of food harder for a bear to get than what nature provides – especially food that is high in fat and calories,” says Nelson Lafon, Forest Wildlife Program Manager for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
Black bear population surges across Virginia
Photo/Shenandoah National Park
Virginiaâs black bear population has roared back after dropping to an estimated 1,000 about 70 years ago. We have a healthy bear population. It has been growing. (But) itâs too early to say whether these changes have started effecting a decrease in the places we want it to happen. Nelson Lafon, Virginia Forest Wildlife Program manager
By Sarah Vogelsong
From numbers that had dwindled to around 1,000 at midcentury, Virginiaâs black bears have been making a comeback.
For the past few decades, thanks to reforestation and state management, the black bear has become more and more common in the commonwealth. And while population estimates arenât an exact science, relying as they do on factors like hunting data and human-bear interactions, one Virginia wildlife official puts the current count at between 18,000 and 20,000.
Virginia s black bears are flourishing Officials have the bear teeth to prove it nbc12.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nbc12.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.