Reviewed by: Mary Helene Hall
Is the black bear ‘Shelby’ safe? State wildlife official weighs in
Reading time: 3 minutes
Earlier this week, we reported on the appearance of a big, mischievous black bear roaming around communities in North Shelby County near Oak Mountain State Park and US-280.
Since then, local residents have given the bear a geographically appropriate nickname: “Shelby.”
As of Thursday, Shelby was seen:
- Along 280
- Lee Branch Shopping Center
- The Eagle Point neighborhood
- Oak Mountain State Park
Thanks to social media, Shelby the bear has become a local celebrity.
Is Shelby the bear safe? What wildlife experts say
Since we started covering this roaming bear, one question keeps coming up: Is Shelby safe and healthy?
We got in touch with wildlife biologist Marianne Gauldin with the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division and we got an answer… Yes!
Gauldin told us the Department of Conservation regularly receives calls starting around May and into early fall about bears in neighborhoods and urban areas.
“During the late spring and summer months, young black bears disperse, so it’s completely normal and completely natural to see bears in areas where perhaps you had never seen them before. There is no place in Alabama where we are surprised that you saw a bear.”
Marianne Gauldin, Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division
Wildlife scientists believe there are fewer than 500 bears around the state.
Alabama black bear population growth + dispersal patterns
A quick history: 70+ years ago, there were nearly zero black bears left in Alabama. Since then, with the enactment of wildlife laws and regulations, the black bear population in the state has grown slowly.
Their established populations are down around Mobile County in Saraland and in Northeast Alabama near Little River Canyon.
The Birmingham metro area is a prime corridor for young male bears that are dispersing from their established populations, according to Gauldin.
“They tend to head west and then eventually come back into the area and hang on the outskirts of established bear population areas, waiting until they’re old enough to breed. It’s completely normal. They disperse away from their mothers, and then they will end up wandering long distances, more than 100 miles sometimes, and then wait until they’re old enough to breed.”
Marianne Gauldin, Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division
In a nutshell, Shelby is on a young male bear’s “walkabout.”
Black bear safety tips: What to do if you spot Shelby
Now that you know black bears can appear anywhere in the Birmingham-metro area, here are some safety tips from Gauldin.
If you see a bear, don’t approach it. It’s important to make sure the bear sees you as well. Clap your hands, wave your arms, holler at it and make sure that it has an open escape route to safely move in the opposite direction. In other words, don’t corner a bear.
If a bear is in the area, don’t leave pet food, trash, bird and deer feeders, or grills outside.
“All those things attract a bear. Anything that would attract a raccoon is going to attract a bear.”
Marianne Gauldin, Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division
Want the full list of safety tips? Visit bearwise.org. To report a black bear sighting or emergency in Alabama, contact Operation GameWatch at 800-272-4263.
