Black bear sightings in central Kentucky becoming more frequent

Black bear sightings in central Kentucky are up, according to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. John Hast is the department’s bear and elk program coordinator. Two bear sightings were reported in Jessamine County Monday, but Hast said it’s likely one bear was seen twice.

“I think they definitely are, if you take the last few years into account. I think maybe 2013 was kind of where they started becoming almost an annual event. I think before that, maybe 2006 we'd had one up in, worked its way through Franklin County, went to Henry County.”

Hast said though black bears are shy and timid around humans, it’s illegal to feed them – in part because doing so too often results in a bear’s death.

“Most of the problems that we've had with bears have been bears that that we say are habituated, that being that they're used to receiving a handout from people, whether that's, I mean, directly, handing them a hot dog or letting them get in your garbage.”

Hast said some of those habituated bears are killed by motor vehicles, and on occasion, Fish and Wildlife employees have to kill them.

Bearwise.org

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