Editor's note: The Asheville Citizen Times Answer Woman/Answer Man columns took a hiatus during our coverage of the wrath of Tropical Storm Helene. But readers have sent us many Helene-related questions, so we will address them in our newly launched Asheville Answers column on Sundays, written by our staff reporters who have had a first-row seat to the storm, and will continue to cover its aftermath. We'll also answer any other questions in our Answer Man and Woman columns. Email me at KChavez@citizentimes.com and your question could appear in an upcoming issue.
Question: Where have all the bears gone? Before the hurricane we had daily visits from our local bears. Since Helene, none have been seen in our area at all. What happens to animals during hurricanes?
Answer: In the immediate aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, special projects biologist Ashley Hobbs, with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, said they were bracing for impact. Namely, they were preparing for an increase in bear-human interactions, particularly with the number of damaged homes, debris and trash left in the storm's wake.
But while there were a few "one-off" situations, Hobbs said, for the most part the trend stayed the course, with the wildlife commission receiving calls they typically expect in the fall as bears enter a phase called hyperphagia, trying to put on as much weight as possible to tide them over through the winter months.
Likewise, Hobbs said they haven't seen signs of a significant population reduction based on call volume this year compared to previous years. That isn't to say there weren't impacts from Helene, Hobbs said, but they may need more time to gauge exactly what they were -- such as how losing mast-producing trees will impact the population and if overall changes to their habitat will effect the movement of bears across the landscape.
It's possible there was some displacement, she said, "but again, we'll probably have to wait a bit longer to see if there are some big impacts. But bears are really resilient critters. They are able to batten down the hatches and weather the storm, literally. I don't see any major impacts in terms of deaths or injuries or anything like that, so far. Really it seems to be pretty normal, for right now at least."
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Similarly, for other wildlife, more monitoring is ongoing, Hobbs said.
"Right now I haven't heard anything coming in terms of major, immediate impacts," she said. "But I mean if you look at the way that four habitat has changed, even just in your local neighborhood, it will be interesting to see what the overall regional impact is."
For people noticing fewer bears in their neighborhood, while displacement from Helene is possible, it also is the time of year that bear activity typically drops off.
The abundance of food in an area impacts when bears begin to den, but a Jan. 7 news release from the wildlife commission advised that many bears were in their "winter homes," which could be anything from a pile of brush, a hollowed-out tree, a rock cavity or even under the deck or in the crawl space of your home.
"Over the last decade, we have had both an increasing human population and bear population, resulting in an uptick in bears denning under houses and decks, as well as unleashed dogs disturbing bears in dens," said Colleen Olfenbuttel, NCWRC's bear expert, in the release.
In Western North Carolina this year, she said, "there are plenty of debris piles and fallen trees as a result of Hurricane Helene, which offer additional ground dens for bears and other wildlife."
If a bear den is discovered in a populated area, people can co-exist through the denning season, which usually occurs through April.
"Bears are only interested in getting their winter rest or, if it's a female, caring for her cubs. Denning bears are not interested in engaging with people as long as people leave the bear den alone," Olfenbuttel said.
If a homeowner is concerned about the close proximity of a den, NCWRC advises to call the N.C. Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401, or contact their local district wildlife biologist for further guidance.
"I'd say wait until next year to really decide if all of your bears are gone, because I think they're probably going to surprise you," Hobbs said.
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Hobbs advised that people continue to follow the "BearWise basics," such as:
"If you see a bear, don't feel bad for it. It still has plenty of food, even with the natural disaster," she said. The worst thing you could do for bears right now is intentionally feed them, she said. Even with the storm, "they're going to be OK. And if you see bears, give them a healthy distance."
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Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@citizentimes.com or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville answers: Where have all the bears gone after Helene?