Asheville residents spot a black bear downtown

Asheville resident Cari Barcas recorded a police officer escorting a black bear downtown on the afternoon of April 21, 2022.

Asheville Citizen Times

ASHEVILLE -It mayseem odd to see a black bear inthecity, but in Asheville, its not as rare as one might think.

On April 21, there was yet another sighting of a black bear taking a stroll downtown. Erin Kellem, manager at Woolworth Walk, managed to take a video of the bear as it wandered around the intersection of Haywood Street and Battery Park Avenue, around 3:30 p.m.

My co-worker caught sight of the bear and said, A bear!" Kellem said. "Customers kind of rushed outside and I rushed outside and had my camera and there were a whole lot of people who had crowded around and were taking pictures and watching."

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It is a high-traffic pedestrian and vehicle intersection and there were many others clustered on the sidewalks and driving by who witnessed the scene, she said.

Black bears are known to reside in and around the city, and sometimes they stumble into the heavily human-populated areas of downtown.

Its not uncommon to see a bear in downtown Asheville, said Ashley Hobbs, assistant black bear and furbearers biologist for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

They go about their whole life cycles within Asheville city limits. We have bears that live in those little neighborhoods that surround the core area of downtown Asheville so its not uncommon for a bear to wander into the populated areas. In fact, we have bears that den for the winter right along I-240 within 5-feet of I-240.

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Kellem had not personally seen a bear downtown before the encounter, though she knows others who have on occasion. A 20-year resident, Kellem is used to seeing them in her neighborhood in East Asheville.

I see them almost daily at home but not downtown, Kellem said.

Cari Barcas, associate director of Green Built Alliance, was leavingher downtown office building when she noticed acrowd.

I saw that there was a police vehicle and a bunch of people gawking. … As I approached the intersection, I saw a bear just standing there, actually trying to climb a tree, Barcas said.It was obviously a little claustrophobic and scared but was very peaceful and passive.

Police arrived and created a corridor around the bear to ensure it had space and a path to leave the area, Kellem said.

What I heard was that she picked a tree somewhere a block or two away and went up the tree, she said. I know in past times they will just leave a police officer in the area wherever the bear has gone up into the tree and once its dark and no one is around and there isnt a big fanfare, the bear will come down and make its way back to where it wants to be. The bear does not want that much attention.

Barcas took a video of the scene, which shows a police officer seemingly escorting the bear down the street.

The police officer was having to remind (people) to give a healthy boundary and give the bear some space so everyone could stay safe, Barcas said.

For eight years, Barcas has lived in Asheville. It wasnt her first bear sighting, but it was the first time shes seen one walking through the central business district downtown, she said.

Bear family plays at Isaac Dickson

Bear family plays at Isaac Dickson

Asheville Citizen Times

The number of bear sightings so far this spring and the number of many bears living in the city and regionis difficult to confirm, Hobbssaid. It is uncommon to see a bear in the more high-density pedestrian areas of the city.

Those sightings are less common because there are so many people around, especially in the middle of the day, but they do happen because the bears live and breathe right there in the middle of Asheville, Hobbs said.

Its really due to an expanding human population on top of an expanding bear population. So its kind of a no-brainer that we have more interactions as the years go on.

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Bear education and safety protocols are crucial for the community to learn and practice, especially as the city and surrounding areas grow, Barcas said.

As our community is developing and growing, I think its our responsibility as residents and as stewards of the land and this natural area to be responsible about how we interact with bears, she said.

In the videos, the bear can be seen wearing a tracking collar, which indicates that the bear is a female and part of the urban/suburban black bear study, Hobbs said.

Its looking at reproduction, what bears are eating around town, where theyre denning … within Asheville city limits, Hobbs said.

The bears dens are not relocated outside ofthe city because it would be ineffective, she said. Also, there is no place in the state to take bears where they wouldnt encounter people again.

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These bears kind of have an internal GPS, if you will, where they know where they live and they want to stay in their home," Hobbs said. "Theres a lot of research that shows you can take a bear even a few states away and theyll make a beeline back to that spot where you picked it up. Its just not effective.

In other words, the bears are here to stay.

A bear sighting may be an exciting event, especially if a person hasnt seen one up close before. However, there are things a person should and shouldnt do to keep all humans and animals in the area safe. That may be sacrificing capturing a viral video and putting away the phone.

I make sure to keep a safe distance, Kellem said. I realized that a crowd was gathering and this bear had no way to escape and she was very stressed out. I actually stopped recording and came back inside when I realized I was kind of part of the problem. She did not want to be downtown anymore, and she did not have a way a direction that looked safe to head.

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Residents and visitors to the area should know what to do if they see a bear in the city or in the woods. The first thing is to make sure the bear has an escape route, Hobbs said.

You can do that by giving the bear a lot of space so that when they want to get away from you which they do when it comes to that fight or flight end of the spectrum they just want to get away from us, Hobbs said. Usually, when a bear sees you theyre going to turn tail and run.

In a case of a bear continuing to approach and theres no way to get away, the person should take a stance to attempt to scare it away.

Then youll want to put your arms over your head, get big and scary and kind of show that bear you mean business, Hobbs said.

In the exceedingly rare scenario of a bear continuing to pursue even after this, Dobbs said to find rocks or sticks or something else to throw at the bear to deter it.

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Dogs should be kept on a leash at all times to keep control at all times, she said.

Bears and dogs do not mix, Dobbs said. Never have your dog off-leash. And get you and your dog out of the area. Back away slowly in the opposite direction and again, make sure they always have an escape route.

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A human may have a fight or flight response, but its not a good idea to run, she said.

You should never run from a bear. That could trigger a predatory response or a chase response in them, Hobbs said. Thats their instinct of response when they see something running. So just keep your eye on the bear, watch what its doing and back away slowly out of the area.

The same rules apply in the woods, as well, she said.

If needed, call the NC Wildlife Commission helpline (866-318-2401) or local authorities for assistance.

It can be helpful for us to escort the bear to a safer spot, Hobbs said. If youre in a neighborhood area, it may not be uncommon to see them in the area so that may not warrant a call if you see a bear. But if you see a bear and it was getting into your trash or trying to get onto your porch or into your home, that would warrant a call, as well.

Bears are most active during dusk and dawn hours, she said, though bears in Asheville can be seen any time of the day. So, its recommended to always be always aware of ones surroundings.

Make sure that you can hear whats around you, Hobbs said. Make sure you dont have headphones in, and things like that, because these bears will give you a warning sign if you get too close. Theyll huff at you, theyll make popping noises with their jaw, and theyll let you know that youre too close.

If walking, bear spray or a bell or signal horn are effective but whistling, calling out Hey, bear!or making other noises can work to let the bear know of ones presence, too, she said.

Bears have an incredible sense of hearing so ninetimes out of 10 theyll get out of your way if you let them know youre in the area, Hobbs said.

BearWise is a national educational program developed by bear biologists and employed by the Wildlife Commission. The group offers some BearWise Basics for co-existing with bears:

For instructions on how to use bear spray and more guidelines on how to handle black bear encounters, visit bearwise.org.

Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

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Bears in downtown Asheville aren't going anywhere; here's what to do if you see one - Citizen Times