{"id":221,"date":"2026-05-21T20:38:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T20:38:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=221"},"modified":"2026-05-21T20:38:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T20:38:31","slug":"black-bear-in-charlotte-wandered-through-highland-creek-state-says-see-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=221","title":{"rendered":"Black bear in Charlotte wandered through Highland Creek, state says. See video"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A rare bear sighting has been confirmed in north Charlotte, just ahead of the three-day Memorial Day weekend.<\/p>\n

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It was caught on video around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in The Glen at Highland Creek, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission reports.<\/p>\n

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Witnesses reported seeing the bear calmly strolling across lawns in the neighborhood, which is near the intersection of Interstate 485 and Mallard Creek Road. It was also seen feasting from someone\u2019s bird feeder.<\/p>\n

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Linda and Larry Poelma had been eating supper in their sun room when it suddenly appeared outside the window, about eight feet away. The couple have lived in the community more than 10 years, and it counted as a first.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMy husband was clearing the table, and he said: \u2018It\u2019s a bear.\u2019 I thought he was joking, but it was a bear,\u201d Linda Poelma told The Charlotte Observer. \u201cIt was not in a hurry. I was fascinated. We both were, but we were inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

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It eventually wandered into some woods that act as a buffer between the couple\u2019s home and a golf course, she said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI warned the neighbors and told everybody to be on the lookout. Maybe don\u2019t walk at night,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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Black bears are largely found in the mountain and coastal regions, but there is evidence some will pass through the Piedmont seasonally.<\/p>\n

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In recent weeks, bears have been reported in Fayetteville, Hillsborough, Rockingham and Durham, and one was struck by a car in Rocky Mount on May 13, the state says. A dead one was found by a road in Reidsville, officials said.<\/p>\n

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Bear sightings \u201cin unlikely or unusual places\u201d tend to spike from Memorial Day weekend through early summer, the state says. There is no cause for alarm, experts say.<\/p>\n

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\u201cA bear traveling to or through a highly populated area, even a place like Charlotte, is not an emergency,\u201d District Biologist Rupert Medford said in a news release. \u201cThe best thing you can do is leave it alone, do not approach the bear, and let it travel on through.\u201d<\/p>\n

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BearWise Safety<\/h2>\n

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Bear safety for North Carolina homeowners begins with avoiding anything that alters the lifestyle of the predators, experts say.<\/p>\n

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