{"id":2611,"date":"2026-07-03T17:40:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T17:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2611"},"modified":"2026-07-03T17:40:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T17:40:15","slug":"black-bears-are-moving-through-downtown-greenville-more-than-ever-heres-why-biologists-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2611","title":{"rendered":"Black bears are moving through downtown Greenville more than ever. Here\u2019s why, biologists say"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As Upstate South Carolina has developed so has an increasing number of interactions between residents and black bears.<\/p>\n

Read more USC\u2019s million-dollar club: 8 employees earn $1M or more per year<\/a><\/p>\n

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Tammy Waldrop, a black bear biologist with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, said multiple bears live in the urban areas of Greenville including a few downtown.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere have been sightings every day in Greenville in different parts of the city,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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But when one shows up in the affluent Parkins Mill neighborhood a short hop from downtown, well, that merits some attention.<\/p>\n

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Greenville city officials put out a statement this week advising people that a code enforcement officer came upon one running down the street near Vintage Avenue.<\/p>\n

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The officer was able to snap a photo that has gotten quite a lot of response on Facebook, both from people who say they throw out table scraps for animals and those bemoaning the practice.<\/p>\n

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Still others said simply, \u201cWhere else are they to go?\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019re taking away their habitat,\u201d a woman posted. \u201cThey\u2019re lost. Don\u2019t blame them, don\u2019t punish them. Re-home them to a more friendly habitat.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Another person saw a bear on their Ring camera on Lanneau Drive, about four miles from the first sighting.<\/p>\n

Read more One dead after fatal head-on collision in Calhoun County, SC Highway Patrol says<\/a><\/p>\n

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Waldrop said bears travel through Greenville along the major creeks, rivers and tributaries \u2014 the Reedy, Enoree, Saluda, Tiger and their tributaries.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWith new developments everywhere, people and bears are encountering each other much more frequently,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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In June, DNR recorded over 120 reports and in May 75.<\/p>\n

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The June number is higher than normal and may be a result of the heat and early spring drought that delayed ripening blackberries until just recently, she said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt is also the breeding season of bears and they are moving around more,\u201d Waldrop said. \u201cIt looks like this hot summer weather will result in increased sightings and reports this year in the Upstate,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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The reasons for the sightings, in addition to development, are not only the increasing bear population but also improved technology such as security cameras.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe key is not to panic but to become educated,\u201d Waldrop said.<\/p>\n

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The way to keep bears out of your yard is pretty simple \u2014 don\u2019t put food out. Sorry to birders, that includes bird feed.<\/p>\n

Read more Heat advisory in place for Midlands amid July 4 weekend, weather service says<\/a><\/p>\n

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Here are some tips from <\/b><\/p>\n

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