LAMB, Ky. — Black bear sightings have recently been popping up across Kentucky, leaving many residents asking the same question: Why are bears showing up here?
Since you asked, Barrenside looked into what’s behind the sightings and whether people should be concerned.
One of the most recent encounters happened at Kelly Birge’s home in southern Barren County.
After tossing food scraps into the trash, Birge figured they were gone for good. But a black bear had other plans, stopping by her home to rummage through the garbage.
The mother and homesteader shared footage of the encounter on her Dixie Belle Farm account, where she regularly gives followers a glimpse into her family’s life on the farm.
“Never in my life would I have thought we would see a bear in our backyard, and also our front yard,” Birge said.
Birge’s encounter is one of several recent sightings reported across the region. Another bear was recently spotted in the Gamaliel community of Monroe County.
According to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, however, the sightings aren’t unusual.
Each late spring and early summer, young male black bears leave the areas where they were raised in eastern Kentucky after being pushed out by older, more dominant males during mating season.
The juveniles then spend weeks roaming unfamiliar territory in search of food, habitat and potential mates before instinctively returning to the mountains in the fall.
Wildlife officials say those young bears can travel 20 miles or more in a single day if left undisturbed and have even been known to wander into neighboring states.
“This is the time of year when young male bears are usually spotted outside of their normal home range in the mountain counties of eastern Kentucky,” Bear Program Coordinator John Hast said in a news release. “These young bears are just juveniles and are easily scared and confused, causing them to wander into populated areas because they don’t yet know any better.”
While seeing a bear can be startling, Fish and Wildlife says black bears naturally fear people and dogs, and dangerous encounters are extremely rare.
Instead of approaching a bear, residents should keep their distance and remove anything that might attract it, including unsecured garbage, pet food, bird feeders and dirty barbecue grills.
It is also illegal in Kentucky to intentionally feed bears or knowingly leave food available for them.
If a bear poses an immediate danger, officials recommend yelling and waving your arms to appear larger before contacting local law enforcement.
For residents in Barren County and surrounding communities, the recent sightings are likely temporary visitors rather than signs that bears have permanently settled in the area.
As summer progresses, wildlife officials expect most of these wandering juveniles to continue moving before returning to eastern Kentucky by the fall.
Bear sightings can be reported to the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Information Center by email at info.center@ky.gov or by phone at 1-800-858-1549 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays.
