Bold, hungry bears approaching tents and picnic tables at NC campsites, officials warn

The misadventures of aggressive bears are continuing in western North Carolina, with authorities reporting this week that bears are now boldly strolling into busy campsites in Pisgah National Forest.

“Bears are coming up to tents and picnic tables which is obviously a danger to people in the area, but can also be a danger to the bears,” the U.S. Forest Service wrote in an Aug. 9 Facebook post.

Warnings have been issued for people visiting the Carolina Hemlocks Campground and the Big Ivy/Barnardsville hiking areas, the forest service said.

Campers should stay away from food — unless they’re eating it. Otherwise, they risk attracting unwanted bears, who can smell a meal “from over a mile away,” according to the National Park Service.

“Keep food and scented items hidden in a locked vehicle or in bear canisters at least 100 yards from camp,” the forest service wrote. “Do not leave food in or near your tent!”

Reports of aggressive bears have escalated this summer in mountains along the North Carolina-Tennessee state line, including a June 18 bear attack on a teen as she slept in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The bear was shot and killed by park rangers and the teen suffered serious injuries, officials said.

Pisgah National Forest announced in June it was banning camping along parts of the Appalachian Trail due to aggressive bears. And the Blue Ridge Parkway prohibited the use of “tents and soft-sided campers” for a month at Mount Pisgah Campground” due to bears.

The U.S. Forest Service says emboldened bear antics this summer include “stealing food and backpacks” in the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness area of Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina.

“The bears will often stay in the area of the incident for multiple hours, possibly days, depending on availability of food sources,” the service posted. “This time of the year black bears are opportunistically looking for food that campers and trail users bring on their trips.”

This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 3:29 PM with the headline "Bold, hungry bears approaching tents and picnic tables at NC campsites, officials warn."