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A black bear was captured in a photo in West TN on July 4th. The sighting took place outside a cornfield near the Carroll Co. and Henderson Co. line.(DAVID MARTIN | WBBJ STAFF)<\/p>\nCARROLL CO., Tenn. (WBBJ) -Black bear spotted Saturday in West TN is confirmed by TWRA.<\/p>\n
On July 4th, a photo circulated across social media featuring a black bear just outside of a corn field. Reports said the bear was spotted near the Carroll County and Henderson County line.<\/p>\n
A black bear was captured in a photo in West TN on July 4th. The sighting took place outside a cornfield near the Carroll Co. and Henderson Co. line.(DAVID MARTIN | WBBJ STAFF)<\/p>\n
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has now confirmed that sighting. The agency is also informing residents on how to handle an encounter or sighting.<\/p>\n
Read the official release from TWRA below.<\/p>\n
For Immediate Release:<\/p>\n
BLACK BEAR CONFIRMED SIGHTING ALONG THE CARROLL AND HENDERSON COUNTY LINE<\/b><\/p>\n
JACKSON, Tenn. — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has confirmed a sighting of a black bear near the borders of Carroll and Henderson Counties. Such sightings are not uncommon during the summer, as the agency typically receives an increase in calls regarding black bears at this time of year. These animals have a wide natural range and are known to travel great distances throughout the state. Last year, black bears were spotted in several locations while searching for food, water, and shelter. As the black bear population recovers from the low numbers observed 75 years ago, their range is expected to expand beyond East Tennessee, where it is most abundant. This resurgence represents a conservation success story, as black bears return to their historic territories.<\/p>\n
When we receive reports of a bear, our officers and biologists monitor the situation to assess whether the bear is behaving naturally or causing any nuisance. Unfortunately, when bears appear in areas where they are typically not found, such as West Tennessee, media coverage and public sharing of the bear\u2019s location can encourage people to seek it out. If people refrain from approaching the bear, it will likely move on naturally.<\/p>\n
Humans often unintentionally attract and provide food for wild animals, including black bears, near their homes. Common attractants include bird feeders, trash cans, birdbaths, and pet food bowls with leftover food. These items can attract bears and other unwanted wildlife into residential areas. By following a few simple guidelines from BearWise, you can reduce negative interactions with these animals and help deter bears from approaching. <\/p>\n
Here are some BearWise tips:<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to remember that the presence of a bear does not automatically put humans in immediate danger. Bears often flee when they hear loud noises or see people waving their arms. By keeping a safe distance and avoiding any actions that could be perceived as threatening, residents can significantly reduce the risk of confrontation.<\/p>\n
Visit bearwise.org<\/a> to unlock insights and practical solutions from BearWise. This program helps homeowners, businesses, and communities live in harmony with bears, ensuring a peaceful coexistence.<\/p>\n The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is responsible for protecting, managing, and conserving fish and wildlife species for the benefit of Tennesseans and visitors. The Agency also maintains public safety through law enforcement and safety education on waterways.<\/p>\n —TWRA—<\/p>\n For more information visit the TWRA <\/a>website or bearwise.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 WBBJ. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CARROLL CO., Tenn. (WBBJ) -Black bear spotted Saturday in West TN is confirmed by TWRA. On July 4th,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":914850,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[27],"tags":[369742,302454,369741,159,67,132,68,837],"class_list":["post-914849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wildlife","tag-black-bear-carroll-co-henderson-co","tag-black-bear-sighting","tag-black-bear-west-tn","tag-science","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us","tag-wildlife"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116869261439795517","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=914849"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914849\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/914850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=914849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=914849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=914849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}