CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) – As Missouri’s black bear population continues to grow, the Missouri Department of Conservation is reminding residents how to stay safe.
Maddie Est, a staff member with the Missouri Department of Conservation, said black bear sightings are common across the state.
“So right now we estimate around 600 to 1,000 bears in the state at any given time, so it’s kind of difficult—we can’t count every bear that’s in the state at once—but that estimate really indicates that we have a large number of bears,” she said.
Est said black bears, like most wild animals, are food motivated, particularly after hibernation. Removing attractants from around a property is the most effective way to prevent bears from approaching your property.
“The number one attractant is going to be food, and that can be pet food that you leave outside, that can be barbecue grills; it can be bird feeders,” Est explained. “You might want to just bring them in, lock them away. Trash is another big one; you want to do the same.”
If a person encounters a black bear, Est said the animals are typically as frightened of humans as humans are of them. The department recommends making your presence known and maintaining a safe distance.
“Make sure that they can see you, so, you know, stand up to your full height, show your face, things like that—never run away from a black bear. Instead, try to, again, make them know that you’re there, and more often than not they are going to avoid that interaction with you,” she said.
Est noted that black bears have strong memories, and residents who experience repeated encounters have resources available to them through the department.
“We have an entire team dedicated to those kinds of interactions between wildlife and humans, and so that’s our damage biologists—that’s what we call them—and they are wonderful sources of information to come out to your property and help you address that issue,” she said.
For more information on black bears, Est encourages you to visit the Missouri Department of Conservation website.
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