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Bear killings skyrocket as garbage, birdfeeders draw them into conflict
Wildlife officers say drought and poor natural food supplies have pushed bears toward towns, forcing agencies to kill or euthanize 307 since April.
- Wildlife agencies across the United States are euthanizing record numbers of bears as food shortages force animals into human communities, with New Mexico reporting 307 deaths since April and Tennessee 61 this year.
- Across the West, warm winters and regional drought caused early vegetation growth weeks before bears emerged from dens, then late frosts wiped out wild berries, creating what Chris Servheen, a former grizzly specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, called "an exceptionally bad food year."
- Roughly half of reported property damage incidents involve chicken coops, which officials describe as a "gateway" for increased conflict, while state agencies documented 115 incidents where bears forced their way into buildings since 2023.
- Colorado legislators enacted stricter penalties for residents who "knowingly" feed bears, raising maximum fines to $5,000, while North Carolina's Wildlife Resources Commission passed emergency rules prohibiting intentional feeding in Buncombe County earlier this month.
- John Livingston, public information officer with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, warned that "bears are really good at exposing where we're weak," as climate change intensifies lean food years and drives mature bears toward towns.
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13 Articles
13 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources13
Leaning Left10Leaning Right0Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution91% Left
Bias Distribution
- 91% of the sources lean Left
91% Left
L 91%
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