Those with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said the population of black bears in Middle Tennessee has been growing.
TWRA statewide bear coordinator and biologist Dan Gibbs was quoted in reports saying the bears have been making their way to Middle Tennessee from East Tennessee and Kentucky. He also said a number of bears have been coming from Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas.
The agency has estimated there have currently been about 6,000 black bears in the state.
Gibbs said one of the primary reasons bears have been sighted in the area was because of accessible food sources. He said bears have been attracted to open trash containers, grills, and bird feeders. He advised people not to leave food out for bears.
