NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) has issued a warning about increased interactions with black bears as the state’s population continues to grow.
The agency reports there are nearly 6,000 black bears across Tennessee. In 2024, TWRA received 1,700 emergency calls related to black bears, with 25% of those calls being garbage-related.
The agency advises residents to lock food in cars and use bear-resistant containers for garbage storage.
TWRA Vice Chairman Greg Davenport emphasized the future need for more resources to handle the increasing number of bear-related calls.
“Now we’ve got a pro-grow state which is wonderful, but our human-bear contact comes at a cost,” Davenport says. “And you’ve got to ask, ‘Does the agency have the capacity? Capacity means more funding.”
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The TWRA also cautions against feeding bears, as it encourages them to return for more food.