Fall weather fuels bear activity across Northeast

AccuWeather

AccuWeather's Ali Reed discusses increased bear activity this time of year, what's driving bears closer to homes and neighborhoods, and safety measures if one is encountered.

Transcript

00:00As fall settles in, bear activity is ramping up across much of the region.

00:04Experts say this time of the year, black bears are on the move,

00:08stocking up on food before heading in the hibernation.

00:12Sounds lovely for the winter, doesn't it?

00:14I could go for a hibernation right about now.

00:15I could do that as well.

00:16Our Allie Reed is live from Lawrenceville, New Jersey,

00:18to share what's driving this seasonal surge in bear activity.

00:23Hey, Allie, they're so darn cute.

00:25They are.

00:25But I don't think I'd want to get super close.

00:30Well, and on a morning like today where it's a little cold here in New Jersey,

00:34hibernation also sounds pretty nice, right?

00:36Maybe being inside, a little warm, some hot cocoa.

00:39That sounds great right now.

00:41But right now, this fall weather that we're dealing with,

00:44when it does start to get into those colder temperatures,

00:47that's when these bears are most active.

00:50That's when they are hunting and searching for their food to stock up before the wintertime.

00:56I chose Lawrenceville, New Jersey, this morning because it was just a few months ago.

01:00It was actually in this town, not far from where I'm live this morning,

01:03where there was a bear spotted roaming throughout a neighborhood.

01:07So if you are seeing right now potentially in person some bears,

01:12hopefully not, but maybe in person or on social media, it is not your imagination.

01:18Okay, I want to take this some video to give you an idea of what it may look like

01:21if you do happen to see a bear roaming your own neighborhood.

01:24Now, wildlife officials, I got speaking to them yesterday,

01:27they say that this seasonal surge right now happens every year

01:31as black bears prepare for the colder months ahead.

01:34They can consume up to 20,000 calories a day during this time,

01:39scavenging for berries, acorns, and anything else they can find

01:42to pack on fat reserves that will help them survive the winter.

01:45And as the air turns colder, like on a day like today,

01:48that instinct only intensifies.

01:50Bears begin to roam more, sometimes crossing roads, climbing fences,

01:54or getting into garbage cans as they follow the scent of an easy meal.

01:58Experts say weather plays a big role in their behavior.

02:02The colder it gets, the more energy they burn,

02:04and the sooner they may settle in for hibernation.

02:06They will be moving around more, trying to eat more,

02:12not only to prepare for that period of torpor and inactivity,

02:16but also simply because they are a warm-blooded animal.

02:20If we get a particularly cool fall leading into winter,

02:25that bears will tend to go into their period of inactivity earlier.

02:31Bad weather, cold weather can cause bears to go inactive earlier

02:36than if you have more mild weather.

02:42So if the chill sets in early, bears could start denning sooner.

02:45But until then, wildlife officials urge residents to be alert

02:48and take precautions.

02:50Secure trash cans, remove bird feeders, and never leave pet food outside.

02:54That's an important one.

02:55And if you do encounter a bear, experts say do not run.

02:58Instead, back away slowly, make yourself look bigger,

03:01and give it plenty of space.

03:03Now, experts say this period,

03:05where we're going to potentially see some more bear activity right now,

03:08is going to last probably until mid to late November.

03:11That is the time where, again, from now until then,

03:14they're going to be collecting food.

03:16Again, berries, that's going to be a big one.

03:18I also heard from wildlife officials,

03:20if you do have something like an apple tree, berries in your backyard,

03:24if you can pick up as many from the ground as possible,

03:27it's going to eliminate the possibility of that bear wanting to come in

03:31and infiltrate something like your backyard.

03:33So it's just something to note, of course,

03:35as you are moving throughout the next couple of weeks,

03:38especially, guys, if you're in the Northeast.

03:41All right.

03:42I'm going to keep my eyes out on our neighborhood.

03:44I usually have to fill Bernie in because he's not in our Facebook page.

03:47No, I'm not.

03:47I didn't even know we had a Facebook page.

03:49But I usually let him know when the bear's back in our neighborhood.

03:51But now all we have these important tips.

03:53Yes.

03:54Thank you, Allie.

03:55And the footage was amazing.

03:56We were oohing and eyeing all the bears.

03:57We were loving the footage.

03:58Yeah, except for that big one coming out of the dumpster.

04:00That was like a horror movie.

04:02All right.

04:02We'll let Allie get warmed up.

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