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Bear activity picks up with spring conditions

"There's a period of time there when all bears are hungry and they're looking for something to eat and if people aren't smart enough, they're going to have visitors that they didn't anticipate and there will be a lot of bear-human conflict."

Though many East Tennessee black bears did not hibernate this winter, those that did hibernate and those that remained active will soon both be actively searching for food.

"Unfortunately for the next several months, bears will continue to lose weight. They lost some weight over the winter because there was less for to eat, or they were in dens," Appalachian Bear Rescue Executive Director Dana Dodd said.

Dodd said there will not be much food for the bears to eat until berries ripen in June.

"There's a period of time there when all bears are hungry and they're looking for something to eat and if people aren't smart enough, they're going to have visitors that they didn't anticipate and there will be a lot of bear-human conflict," Dodd said.

MORE: TWRA offers safety tips as bear season returns

Dodd said the two most common ways people create problems for bears are with bird feeders and trash.

"Trash is at the heart of the most conflict problems that we have, and trash is everywhere on our landscape," Dodd said.

Dodd said people in mountain communities should keep their trash in bear-safe trash cans and bird seed should be put away at the beginning of March.

"For people, it can mean harm - physical harm - and we can't have that," Dodd said. "When bears get too used to being around people, when they're fed by people, when they become dependent on people, that bear's life expectancy is not very good."

Dodd said during the spring mothers may leave their cubs to gather food.

"We have to be very careful that we don't accidentally orphan a cub," Dodd said. "We don't want to rush out and try to save a cub that doesn't need saving. That does orphan a cub when you do that."

If you see an animal that appears to be orphaned or ill, call Tennessee Wildlife Resources agency at 423-587-7037 and do not attempt to help the animal yourself. Dodd said doing so can cause the mother to abandon the cub.

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