Bear activity is on the rise

As bear sightings rise this fall, it's important for homeowners, campers and anyone who may run into a bear to keep caution in mind.

Transcript

00:00It's that cool fall weather when bears are most active. So it's not your imagination if you're

00:04seeing more of them possibly in person or online on social media. Right now, they're looking for

00:10food nonstop, meaning they might be getting closer to places to where you live, work, or even hike.

00:16They're in a den or in some area where they're inactive for an extended period of time. So to

00:23prepare for that, they're building up their fat reserves, which means they're out on the landscape,

00:28they're doing what they can to find food, eat food. As acorns, berries, and other natural food sources

00:35ripen, bears are taking full advantage before winter sets in. The timing with moving into fall

00:42and bears starting to try to stock up for the winter and some of these food sources that are

00:49becoming available now, those two things coincide and that can increase bear activity on the landscape

00:55as well. But as sightings rise, so does the need for caution. It's super important for residents to

01:02make sure that they're securing their properties and reducing the obvious sources of food. If the

01:10residents clean those up, it'll really reduce the likelihood that bears are going to come

01:14into their backyard looking for food. While these close encounters can be startling,

01:19experts say more bear activity is actually a good sign. Bears are to be celebrated on the landscape.

01:26We want bears in New Jersey, we want bears across North America, and we want people to be able to

01:32coexist with bears. So bear activity in and of itself is not a bad thing. In fact, it's a good thing

01:36because it's an indicator of a healthy population. So if you spot a bear this fall, remember, keep your

01:42distance, avoid eye contact, and don't panic. They're just stocking up before winter sets in.

01:48For Rocky Weather, I'm Allie Reed.