Black Bear / Human Conflicts in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Singer FJ and Bratton SP. 1980. Black Bear / Human Conflicts in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Bears: Their Biology and Management. 4:137-139
An evaluation was made of 1,028 reports of black bear (Ursus americanus)/human incidents involving personal injuries, property damage, and bear control actions in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 1964-76. Respective totals for personal injuries and incidents of property damage were 107 (range, 1-23 per year) and 715 (range, 9-116 per year). Captures and relocations for the period numbered 332, and 18 bears were destroyed. Seventy-six percent of the nuisance bears were males. Improper food storage, violations of park regulations, and high levels of visitor use at certain campsites, shelters and along a few main roads and trails are factors contributing to bear/human conflicts.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Singer, Francis; Bratton, Susan
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Black Bear (Ursus americanus), Great Smoky Mountains National Park NC TN, Human-Animal Encounters, nuisance (animals)