Residents urged to stay alert as bear sightings rise in South Mississippi
Residents across South Mississippi are being urged to stay alert following several recent black bear sightings.
Law enforcement officials say flooding and seasonal movement may be pushing bears into more populated areas.
WXXV News 25’s Everett Ganier Jr. explains what wildlife officials want the public to know.
A black bear spotted in D’Iberville Monday has residents doing a double take. Police say the bear was seen near West Gay Road and Pierce Road.
Similar sightings have been reported in Gulfport, Woolmarket, Bay St. Louis, and the Kiln.
Recent flooding along area waterways may have displaced some bears from their normal habitat, while this time of year is also known for increased bear movement. MDWFP Black Bear Program Anthony Ballard said, “Well, I think it’s important to start off, to realize how many of those sightings could potentially be the same bear. We looked at a lot of those pictures and videos that have come in and certainly the characteristics of the bear, possibly could be the same one. Bears cover a very large area and this one seems to be particularly visible and so not to say that theirs not multiple bears down in that area, I’m sure there are but a good portion of these sightings could be the same bear.”
Wildlife officials say South Mississippi’s black bear population has continued to recover in recent years, making occasional sightings more common across the region.
The Mississippi American Black Bear is a protected species under state law. Wildlife officials recommend securing garbage, removing outdoor food sources and keeping pets supervised if a bear is spotted nearby. “The most important thing obviously is don’t approach the bear or get too close, you want to give it space. And, in urban environments, what we see in more populated areas is that the bear can get cornered in an area or have trouble getting out of that space. So, you want to make sure you maintain an escape route. Sometimes the bear will go up a tree and you have a big group of people standing around the tree and then the bear is kind of stuck there. What’s important is to just make sure everybody keeps their distance; take all the pictures and videos you want to but make sure the bear has a route to escape and go somewhere else if it needs to.”
Officials say bear encounters with people are rare, but aggressive behavior should be reported to local law enforcement or the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
