Are there black bears in East Texas? For years, the answer was no. At least not officially. However, a recently released video shows that black bears are indeed present in East Texas.
It started with rumors of people spotting a large black animal. More recently, it was finally captured on video.
Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) recently released the video and explained what they’re doing now to learn more about the bear.
What the video here:
The video starts with a parks and wildlife official explaining that they’re looking into the recent bear sightings in the area. A hunter who lives in the area also explains what he saw, along with footage of the bear caught on camera.
Bears in East Texas?
Texas wildlife officials are looking into the bear because it’s been years since a bear was spotted in the area. Black bears only have breeding populations in West Texas, especially around the Big Bend region. In other areas, bear sightings are rare. However, TPWD reports that black bears in East Texas have been spotted before. The animal can travel long distances when first leaving their mother and when searching for food or water during times of drought.
As the video suggests, the bear in East Texas is likely from a neighboring state. They believe the animal to be a male who most likely came from Louisiana, Arkansas or eastern Oklahoma.
In the meantime, while wildlife biologists continue to investigate the recent sightings, they want to remind people to be bear aware. That means taking proper precautions to avoid conflicts between people and bears.
Some of those tips include making noises like clapping your hands, whistling or yelling when you see a bear. Black bears tend to be fairly timid and more than likely will run away when they see a human.
Here are some additional bear safety tips.