SUFFOLK, Va. – Suffolk Animal Control authorities are reminding residents of a few guidelines that will help minimize negative encounters with black bears in the area.
Black bears sightings are common in the area, and especially in Suffolk due to the city’s proximity to the Great Dismal Swamp. They’re highly adaptable, intelligent animals and may learn to associate human dwellings with food.
Bears are attracted to residential areas by the smell of food around homes. Black bears have a natural distrust of humans, are shy, and usually avoid people.
Here are a few guidelines to abide by:
- Secure your garbage: Store garbage indoors, in a shed, in a garage, or in a bear-proof container.
- Put garbage out the morning of pick-up, not the night before.
- Pick up pet food. Feed pets only what they will eat in a single feeding or feed them indoors. Remove the food bowl soon after pets finish. Pick up uneaten food. Do not leave food out overnight.
- Remove the bird feeder: Bears consume seed and nuts found in the wild, so bird feeders become a favored target for bears.
- Clean the outdoor grill often.
- Do not put meat scraps or any other strong-smelling food in the compost pile. Consider an enclosed compost bin.
- Do not leave strong-smelling food in your vehicles.
- Pick up and remove ripe fruit from fruit trees and surrounding grounds.
If addressed quickly, problems are often resolved immediately. After a few failed attempts to find food, bears will usually leave the area and return to more normal wild food items.
Bears have tremendous memories and therefore, they may return for as many as 10-14 days looking for these free food sources. It is illegal to deliberately feed bears on both public and private lands.
If you experience a bear problem after taking appropriate steps of prevention, you may contact Suffolk Police Department non-emergency dispatch at 757-923-2350, extension 0.
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