- More black bears live in North Carolina's coastal plain than in its mountains.
- Coastal North Carolina is home to some of the world's largest black bears due to ample food and protected habitats.
- A warming climate could lead to shorter or no hibernation for coastal bears, potentially increasing human-bear interactions.
The North Carolina coast is well-known for its wildlife.
Dolphins are frequently seen entertaining boaters and beachgoers, and a lucky few even get to see manatees traversing the Intracoastal Waterway and whales migrating offshore.
On land, bobcats and turkeys can often surprise folks, and in the sky ospreys can often put on a show while hunting for fish in local waterways.
Eagles are even beginning to show up in greater numbers, with a pair that raised an eaglet at New Hanover County's Airlie Gardens this year causing quite a social media stir.
But bears? Unless you're a farmer or a hunter, it might come as a surprise to find out that more black bears live in the state's coastal plain than in the higher elevations of Western N.C., where the Appalachians rise up and Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the nation's most popular national park − and Ursus americanus is its unofficial mascot.
Here are some things you might now know about one of Eastern North Carolina's most unique residents, and how climate change could be changing how bears behave in the coastal region.
Beach bears?
The ability of the bear to bounce back in the state is one of North Carolina's great wildlife success stories.
Unregulated hunting and loss of habitat led to bears being driven into the most isolated pockets of swamp forests and mountain areas for most of last century. But starting in the 1970s with the establishment of bear sanctuaries, strict management strategies, and educating the public about the state's omnivorous residents, bear numbers have surged back.
Today, more than 20,000 bears are estimated to roam North Carolina, and more than half are in the eastern part of the state.
Coastal North Carolina is also home to some of the largest black bears in the world, thanks to an ample food supply of farmers' crops, a relatively mild climate and many large protected areas − like state game lands such as Holly Shelter in Pender County and federal wildlife refuges like Alligator River near the Outer Banks − that offer the bears valuable habitat.
The size and number of Eastern N.C.'s black bears also fuels a sucessful hunting season and helps support the economy in many rural areas. According to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the numbers of bears harvested by hunters has increased from fewer than 300 in 1980 to more than 4,500 on 2023, the last year figures are available. In the Wilmington area for 2023, hunters took 34 bears in Brunswick County, seven in New Hanover County, and 92 in Pender County. The leading state that year was Hyde County near the Outer Banks, with 288 animals harvested by hunters.
Bears on the hunt
But humans aren't the only ones on the hunt these days. Bears are beginning to fatten up as they prepare to hibernate in the late fall and winter.
In a process called hyperphagia, which means "extreme appetite," bears will travel long distances and be very opportunistic in looking for food sources.
“In late summer through fall, black bears are consuming a variety of hard and soft mast species, from acorns and hickory nuts to pokeberry, cherry, grapes and black gum,” said wildlife commission biologist Jenna Malzahn in a release. “They’ll also take advantage of agricultural crops, such as soybeans and standing corn, as well as bird feeders and unsecured garbage and compost.”
With this level of food consumption, which can last through early winter, bears can put on 3 pounds per day and gain anywhere from 20% to close to 100% of their summer weight, according to the commission.
With bears traveling so much, human-animal interactions − including vehicle strikes − peak over the next few weeks.
Will they hibernate at the N.C. coast?
Maybe. But they'll still often eat even if the weather doesn't trigger them to hibernate for very long or at all.
“Even in warmer climates, such as our state, a bear’s biological clock will still activate this fall feeding frenzy, even for those bears that hibernate briefly or not at all, as natural food scarcity in winter months, not temperatures, has been a key driver for activating the hyperphagia and hibernation process,” said Colleen Olfenbuttel, the wildlife commission's game mammals and surveys supervisor. “Even bears that won’t den until January or February still look for food practically around the clock and eat as much as they can find. However, in areas where bears have found dependable year-round supplies of human-provided foods, they may not hibernate at all but will eat as if they are going to.”
Female bears at the coast have generally been recorded hibernating longer than males, and will give birth during their hibernation, only waking up and emerging with her cubs in the spring when they are able to walk and feed on solid food. Males may den for short periods, but may also exhibit lethargic behavior during the winter if they stay awake.
Where will they hibernate in Eastern N.C.?
With few rock formations to den in or under in Eastern N.C., coastal bears will often hibernate in thick vegetation on the ground.
They also have been found to use tree cavities and burrow under fallen trees and logs.
Bears finding accommodations under abandoned or seldom used human structures, like porches and barns, also has been observed, according to the wildlife commission.
How will a warming climate impact bears?
As warmer weather becomes the norm, North Carolina's coastal black bear might start to mimic behavior patterns of bears in other Southern states that already deal with a hotter, year-round climate.
According to theN.C. State Climate Office, five of North Carolina's top six warmest years have happened since 2016, and each year in the past decade ranks among the top 22 warmest on record dating back to 1895.
That could mean shorter, or no, hibernation for male bears in the state, increased pressure on winter food supplies, and a greater chance of human-bear conflicts as both species share the same space for longer periods of time.
Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on X/Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from the Green South Foundation and the Prentice Foundation. The USA TODAY Network maintains full editorial control of the work.
