North Carolina Wildlife Officials Urge Residents to Secure Food as Bears Enter Fall Feeding Period – V 101.9 Charlotte

North Carolina Wildlife Officials Urge Residents to Secure Food as Bears Enter Fall Feeding Period  V 101.9 Charlotte

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission wants residents to lock up food and anything else that draws bears, since the animals are getting ready for winter. The warning came after video showed a bear up a tree near a Whiteville home.Late summer and fall bring a stretch called hyperphagia. Bears eat far more than usual to pack on fat for the cold months, because natural food gets scarce. They may hunt for food up to 20 hours a day, according to WECT.Reports of bears in towns, neighborhoods, woods, and on roads rise this time of year, the commission says. A bear can gain up to 3 pounds a day.

Over the season, it can add 20% to 100% to its summer weight."During the hyperphagia phase, black bears increase their daily calories from 2,000 to 3,500 calories in spring and summer to approximately 15,000 to 20,000 calories a day," said Jenna Malzahn, a black bear biologist with the commission, per a release from NC Wildlife. "To put this into perspective, 20,000 calories is equivalent to 9 pounds of acorns, 70 pounds of wild cherries, or just one typical birdfeeder that can hold 7 pounds of black oil sunflower seeds."In the wild, bears eat acorns, hickory nuts, pokeberries, cherries, grapes, and black gum fruit. They also seek food in bird feeders, outdoor pet