Blacksburg embraces its rural and wild land, so this spring the town’s Community Relations Office released a notice giving best practices and links for more information from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries about how to live in harmonious proximity with wildlife, black bears in particular.
“We’ve heard from residents in the more rural parts of town. They’re seeing bears – eating out of trash cans and bird feeders – and they’re a little concerned,” Heather Browning, community relations manager for the town said. “It’s that time of year when bears are emerging, so we want to remind people that there are things to do.”
Sent through Citizen Alerts, the announcement said the following: they’re beautiful, majestic, furry creatures, but when human-related foods become available to bears, problems may occur.
In Blacksburg and Montgomery County we’re fortunate to be nestled among the mountains and their native flora and fauna, including black bears.
The question is, how can we live in harmony – protecting these animals and our properties.
It is illegal to feed bears on public or private land in Virginia. Unfortunately, bears can be attracted to residential property through inadvertent feeding (bird feeders, pet food and trash cans). But with some simple steps, you can reduce the chances of bears making repeated visits to your neighborhood or property.
- Secure your garbage in bear-resistant trash cans or store it in a secure building
- Remove bird feeders if a bear is in the area.
- Don’t leave pet food outdoors.
- Make sure your neighbors are following the same recommendations.
The announcement recommended the following website: www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/bear, as a great resource to help you learn more about black bears and get in-depth information about how to keep from attracting bears to your neighborhood.
The website, from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, contains a broad treasury of information such as securing trash cans and bee hives, tips for hunting bear, cooking bear, and caring for orphaned bear cubs.
“We live in bear country, so it is important for us to learn the facts about black bears and know what we can do to prevent conflicts,” said the announcement. “ In this way, we can help keep bears wild and coexist in this beautiful area for generations to come.”