SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Typically, this time of year motorists are warned to watch for rutting deer darting into the roadway. But that was no deer that a car collided with over the weekend.
It was a shock to many, especially the driver who collided with a full-grown black bear.
Certainly, there have been more sightings of bears in Middle Tennessee, but you don't often see bears as large as this one.
Sadly it was hit and killed early Saturday morning when it was still dark along Highway 231 in Bedford County.
"It was right in front of my house," said Tad Craig.
He took these photos of the large adult bear, estimated to be close to 500 pounds.
"The size of it — his head was wider than my son's torso and just massive. The paws are seven or eight inches wide."
The collision with the bear totaled a Nissan Altima, but the driver was uninjured.
Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency biologists say bear sightings are becoming more common in Middle Tennessee, like this one spotted wandering around Brentwood this past summer.
"Primarily the ones we see are transient bears. They are moving through looking for food, looking for a mate, looking for a new range to reside in," said Tabitha Lavacot with TWRA.
But typically, the ones we see here are smaller yearlings looking for a place of their own.
"I was just sad the bear died. The odds of seeing a bear in Bedford County are the same as seeing a raptor. They don't exist, but obviously they do," said Craig.
It is believed that this large bear was the same as one seen in Bedford County earlier this year.
Yes, November is when hibernation begins, but the current abundance of food like acorns here likely delayed hibernation for this bear.
Currently, there is no known bear breeding population in Middle Tennessee.
They typically make their way here from the eastern part of the state.
