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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