The North Carolina Urban/Suburban Bear Study

The Urban/Suburban Black Bear Study is a collaborative research effort between North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. The Urban/Suburban Black Bear Study is a collaborative research project between North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Data from our research provides science-based information to the Nort

h Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to design informed and effective management plans for black bears in North Carolina. During Phase I of our study (2014-2018), we captured and GPS radio-collared black bears in the city of Asheville to determine cause-specific mortality and survival rates, describe annual and seasonal home ranges and movements, identify features of travel corridors, and quantify reproductive parameters and characteristics of den sites. Phase II of our research project (2019-2022) commenced in April 2019. We are recruiting two communities in Asheville to voluntarily participate in and meet compliance standards of BearWise, a regional program that promotes responsible co-habitation with black bears through bear-proofing strategies. Our aim is to live-capture and GPS radio-collar black bears in BearWise and non-BearWise-compliant neighborhoods to objectively evaluate impacts of bear-proofing strategies on urban black bear space use, resource selection, and diet. Also, we will survey neighborhood participants to better understand resident attitudes towards bears, human-bear interactions, and management practices. A more complete understanding of how black bears utilize urban/suburban environments will inform future management practices, and provide the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission with new information to educate residents on how to prevent future bear conflicts.