Casey Vandergrift from Asheville told Newsweek: “I was on my back porch the other night and heard what I thought was an injured animal.”
Upon further investigations with a flashlight, however, she instead discovered a bear fast asleep at the bottom of her garden. “I stumbled right upon him,” she said. “Turns out the sound was the bear snoring.”
Though there was a time when black bears were rarely spotted in North Carolina, according to the University of North Carolina Charlotte Urban Institute, the last 30 years have seen the population expand at a rate of 6 percent per year.
Jody Williams, founder of local conservation group Help Asheville Bears (HAB), told Newsweek this particular region of western North Carolina is distinctive for its “very unique urban bears.”
“Typically people don’t even know where black bears den. Most areas they’re not near humans, like they are here,” he said. Williams said the bear in the den is aware that he’s been seen by humans but does not appear all that bothered.
He sees no reason why any nearby local residents should be concerned either.
“Black bears are actually very timid, they’re not dangerous,” he said. “They’re mostly vegetarian. It’s easy to scare a black bear off there. It’s a totally different species than a brown bear.”
Williams said the local community has learned to “coexist” alongside bears with the main idea being “if you leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone.”
“Always observe and respect from a distance,” he added. He also feels it would be inaccurate to label black bears “dangerous” given the low number of fatalities resulting from attacks involving the species. “Literally more people die from taking selfies every year than a black bear,” he said.
Williams’ outlook on the situation is shared by Vandergrift, who has no concerns about her new neighbor. As someone who has lived in Asheville for 10 years, she said she’s often had times where she’s “run into bears in the trails” or seen them “romping around on trash days.”
Having grown up on a farm, Vandergrift also has an appreciation for nature.
“I don’t feel threatened or in danger. I believe the bear feels the same way. I’m pretty sure he got used to all of my backyard shenanigans while I was still blissfully unaware of his presence,” she said. “I feel privileged that he chose me to look out for him while he slumbers. It’s a once in a lifetime experience.”
So while it’s exciting to have a bear as a neighbor and Williams and HAB are planning on keeping a close eye on him, Vandergrift is happy to go on as if he’s “not even there.”
“I do say hey when I’m having my coffee in the morning,” she said. “I try to let him be. It’s hard though, he’s so cute.”
