Hurricane Helene left regional bear population largely unfazed, expert says
Drone footage shows flooding and damage in the Asheville area after Helene flooding and destruction across Western North Carolina.
By Taylor Thompson
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ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — Hurricane Helene abruptly impacted many areas of Western North Carolina, but did it disrupt the bear population?
Ashley Hobbs, North Carolina Wildlife Special Projects biologist, explained how Helene hit at the time of year when bears were becoming quite active again. This is because that is when bears try to consume as much as possible.
Hobbs said it was nerve-racking to see how the region’s black bears would respond to the storm. But, she said, bears are designed to deal with environmental changes.
Hobbs said that overall, one of the only normal things about last fall was this region’s bear activity.
“We didn’t see much of an impact from the hurricane in terms of bears going about their daily business, going through that hyperphagia phase, and they denned up as normal,” she said.
When looking at why Helene didn’t affect the bears, Hobbs said it was because of their natural instincts.
“They can climb, they can really navigate the landscape even with all the debris fields, as well. That’s nothing that they can’t handle,” she said.
She added that the storm may have actually helped them with their denning habitats, as bears prefer to get into brush piles. Plus, all their food went from being in the air to on the ground.
This fall, Hobbs said, is when we could observe how Helene’s impact affects the bears.
“Now that we’re missing a lot of these hard mass trees, the oak trees, the walnuts, the hickory–how that will impact them in the fall,” she said.
With bears ready to reemerge this year, Hobbs reminds everyone that coexisting with bears remains important.
“We don’t want to encourage bears to see us as a source of food, so it’s a good time of year to bring your bird feeders inside for the rest of the season,” she said.
Hobbs said it is also about time to be more diligent about trash. She advises making sure all garbage is kept in a garage, shed or some locking mechanism.
For now, Hobbs said that fall is still months away, and the region should expect normal bear activity.
“We live alongside these bears and we need to show them respect for co-existence and they will do the same for us,” she said.
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