Written by John Boyle, Asheville Watchdog.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission recently euthanized four bears, including two cubs, after the animals broke into two homes in Swannanoa, ransacking one and causing extensive damage.
Ashley Hobbs, a special projects biologist with the commission, said the incident began Saturday, Aug. 17, at a home in Swannanoa while the owner was out of town. No humans were injured in the incident, which Hobbs said stemmed from bears being intentionally and unintentionally fed in the area.
A female bear with cubs was seen around the home via a security camera throughout the weekend, Hobbs said.
“When the homeowner returned from vacation, they found a previously closed and locked window had been pushed in, and garbage and the contents of their home had been strewn about the front and back yard of the house,” Hobbs said. “The homeowner boarded up the window and returned home later Monday evening to find the board had been pulled off the window frame, and the female bear with cubs from the security footage was standing on the porch just outside the broken window.”
At a home around the corner on the same night, a resident reported a bear with cubs had pushed in a window while the resident was inside.
“In an effort to protect public safety and given the nature of the repeated, forced entries, NCWRC staff made the decision to trap and put down the female and her cubs,” Hobbs said. “While trapping efforts were underway, an additional adult female bear was found entering the home through the broken window. NCWRC staff chose to trap and put down that bear as well in the interest of public safety.”
Euthanization of bears can spark a public outcry, but Hobbs said in this case it was necessary.
“Once any bear of any age receives a food reward for a behavior, it’s very likely to repeat that behavior, expecting additional rewards,” Hobbs said. “Repeated, forced entry into a home is a behavior we cannot allow to continue.”
A resident from a nearby neighborhood, Bee Tree Village, shared an email string with neighbors about the incident. That resident, who asked Asheville Watchdog not to identify her because bear feeding has been a contentious issue in the neighborhood, said the ransacking incident occurred on Bee Tree Road in a home where the resident has two children under the age of 13.
The resident said she was sharing the story “in hopes that everyone will think twice about supplying food sources for bears.” She did not suggest the people in the ransacked home were feeding bears.
“Don’t feed the birds,” the resident wrote. “For those of you who always park your car in the driveway, lock the doors and don’t leave any food or food wrappers in it. Don’t put your trash out until the morning of pickup. We need to remember that a fed bear is a dead bear.”
The Watchdog does not know the identity of the homeowner but has requested the incident report from the commission.
NCWRC said this kind of repeated forced entry into a home is “an indicator of habituation (lack of fear of humans) and food-conditioning (viewing humans as a source of food).
“Bears in this part of town are often fed unintentionally through food attractants like garbage, bird feeders, hummingbird feeders, and pet food,” Hobbs said. “Access to these food attractants serves as a reward for the bear’s behavior, encouraging them to seek out food rewards around people’s homes.”
Hobbs said people living near the house have been intentionally feeding bears birdseed for over a decade.
“Intentional and unintentional feeding of bears unfortunately eventually leads to bears having to be put down in the interest of public safety, as shown in this incident,” Hobbs said.
An increase in reported ‘bold bear behaviors’
Bear encounters have increased over the last few decades in Buncombe County, which leads the state in reported human-bear interactions. Hobbs said the WRC estimates that western North Carolina is home to 8,000 to 9,000 bears, based on a recent study.
Population growth is visible in the commission’s annual black bear report, which also tracks human-bear interactions. The most recent report contains data through 2021.
The commission’s Mountain Bear Management Unit includes its “District 9,” which comprises Buncombe and 11 other westernmost counties.
“As in past years, the MBMU had the highest number of human-bear interactions, particularly District 9, which comprised 51 percent of all interactions,” the report states.
The high number of human-bear interactions here “is largely driven by the high human population in Buncombe County, coupled with high bear densities in this area, due to limited hunter access, topography and habitat that aids in bear dispersal, and the high amount of artificial food resources in and around Asheville (e.g. bird feeders, garbage, purposeful feeding),” the report notes. “Buncombe and Henderson counties reported the highest number of human-bear interactions, followed by Watauga County.”
Hobbs said over the last few most recent years interactions haven’t necessarily been on the rise, though NCWRC statistics show a dramatic increase from 1993-2021.
“Instead, there has been an increase in reported bold bear behaviors,” Hobbs said, noting that the trend of calls for these situations is evident in the report.
“Out of 100 counties, Buncombe County reported 31 percent of all human-bear interactions during 2021, which is why the Commission has focused efforts to promote living responsibly with bears via BearWise and BearWise recognized communities in this county,” the report notes.
A BearWise community commits to coexisting with bears, securing potential food sources, and knowing when and how to report bear activity.
The commission’s BearWise program makes six main recommendations:
- Take down bird feeders
- Leave bears alone
- Secure your food and recycling
- Don’t leave pet food outside
- Clean grills
- Let your neighbors know about bear activity
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. John Boyle has been covering Asheville and surrounding communities since the 20th century. You can reach him at (828) 337-0941, or via email at [email protected]. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service please visit avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.