North Carolina Black Bears Raiding Birdseed In Backyard Birdfeeders

September 12, 2008 4:04 p.m. EST

Asheville, NC (AHN) - Although the black bears in North Carolina should have plenty of food this fall, since the acorns aren't ready yet some of them are going after birdseed in the yards of homes.

A female black bear and its cub recently climbed a 20-foot wall in broad daylight to break into a bird feeder on the porch of a home in Asheville, North Carolina.

Officials there say they have received 110 calls recently about bears raiding backyard bird feeders.

They say it's also a common occurrence in early summer, before the wild berry crop ripens.

But who can blame them, black bears once roamed the entire state of North Carolina.

And despite the fact that more and more of the bear's original territory disappears each year as houses are built, the number of black bears is growing, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

The NC Wildlife Resources Commission says that black bears "are an important part of North Carolina's fauna," and it offers tips on its website for coexisting with the bears.