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Special to the Daily Journal/Messenger

On June 18th a black bear was spotted on Hwy. 130 near Oconee Nuclear Station.

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Click on photo to enlarge

Special to the Daily Journal/Messenger

Homeowners are prohibited from shooting at bears if the animal is leaving their residence or eating food items left outside. However, Still said the homeowner is allowed to euthanize the animal should it enter inside their residence.

CLEMSON — Black bear sightings in the Upstate are becoming a seemingly common occurrence, evidenced by the number reported by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in recent months.

A sighting was even reported on Interstate 85, 385 and Woodruff Road in Greenville.

During the past week alone, bears have been seen in Westminster and Walhalla. That brought the number of bear reports to 17 in Oconee County.

Some local sightings may have involved the same bear, as males are known to travel eight to 10 miles compared to four to five miles for females. Occasionally, a bear can travel much further — evidenced by one case where a bear traveled nearly 140 miles from Macon, Ga. to McCormick.

But Skip Still, a certified wildlife biologist with the DNR’s Clemson office, said the sightings are nothing to be alarmed about if individuals will use good common sense.

“They won’t hurt you,” Still said, adding that no one has ever been injured by a black bear in South Carolina recorded history, and that only three deaths to humans have been attributed to bears in the Southeast in the last 100 years.

Still said food is a key factor why bears are becoming increasingly attracted to residential housing areas. According to Still, bears, with their keen sense of smell, investigate food odors and are attracted to a variety of foods including bird seed, pet foods, compost piles and even grease from barbecue grills.

Garbage cans are one of the most common areas where bears have been spotted, Still said. Though bears have been known to rip open garbage dumpsters in an effort to find food, Still said homeowners can place some ammonia or pepper spice on top of their garbage containers as a deterrent.

“It will burn the animal a little, without causing much harm,” he said, adding, “You want to deter, not entice the animal.”

Another reason Still listed for the increased bear sightings involves the animal’s population growth. Still said bears have been spotted in all but two South Carolina counties in recent years.

“Bears can learn to live with people,” Still said, adding, “But the bears’ survival depends on if people can learn to live with bears. As long as people are still leaving food out, bears are going to come.”

Still not only discourages individuals from leaving human food outside, such as leftovers, but also dog food, cat food, chicken feed or bags of trash. Not only do those food items attract bears, but Still said they also attract raccoons, skunks, foxes and other animals that typically carry rabies.

“People are probably more in danger of their animals contracting a disease than by bears,” he said, adding, “Take away the enticements and the wildlife will quit coming.”

Sue Ferguson, of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Bureau of Environmental Health, agreed.

“We want to emphasize the dangers posed by wild animals and advise people to avoid contact with them, especially during the warmer months when people naturally spend more time outside and have more chance to interact with them,” Ferguson said.

But Still admitted that black bears continue to garner most of the attention. Should an individual encounter a bear, he said that person should never run nor attempt to climb a tree.

“You want to stand your ground and talk to them,” Still said, adding, “If they don’t leave, talk loud and if they continue not to listen, talk louder.”

Still said bears are difficult to catch due to their mobility. While the bear recently seen on several occasions near Oconee Medical Center was ultimately trapped after walking into a cage, he added that only three bears were caught this year.

“We normally receive 150 calls at a minimum,” he said, adding, “Approximately 91 percent of the bears we catch are 18 months old and weigh between 100 to 200 pounds.”

A number of town officials in various parts of the United States are offering “bear proof” trashcans for residents. Officials in one western town distributed 3,000 cans last year to 1,500 households and planned to give out another batch of 1,200 cans in August as a way to keep bears away from residential areas.

“If I lived in Jocassee and in the mountains, I would definitely get one,” Still said.

Homeowners are prohibited from shooting at bears if the animal is leaving their residence or eating food items left outside. However, Still said the homeowner is allowed to euthanize the animal should it enter inside their residence.

For more information, visit dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/bear/index.html.