Black bears making a home in Middle Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Lots of people are moving to Middle Tennessee. Turns out, they are not alone — black bears are moving here, too. News 2 talked with wildlife officials about what's bringing these amazing animals back to Middle Tennessee.

When you think of the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee, black bears certainly come to mind. Slowly over the years, those bears are making their way here to Middle Tennessee.

"Our bear population is doing quite well," said Dan Gibbs, the black bear program coordinator at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).

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Gibbs explained that Middle Tennessee was historically home to many black bears, but settlers hunted them, relegating these large creatures to the eastern part of the state, until now.

"The pleasure of seeing a bear in areas where they haven't been seen in over 100 years," said Gibbs. "We refer to it as recolonization. They are just reclaiming habitat that they formerly had."

Many of the bears exploring Middle Tennessee are young males. Wildlife experts say the mama bear tends to push the males out of her care after the first year so they can find their own way in life.

"The male, she's going to push it on away," said Gibbs. "So, they're running into big males that will say, 'Hey, don't want you around here.' So they just keep getting pushed and pushed and pushed...They end up somewhere like Murfreesboro when it's two in the morning. And the lights come on and they think, 'Oh my goodness. What have I done?' And they're just trying to get out."

If a black bear visits your yard, the TWRA says to hide your trash can and grill in the garage; bring pet food indoors; take down bird feeders; and never feed them. Experts say they have plenty of food in the wild.

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"If people will do those five things, they'll be in pretty good shape."

Black bears eat fruits, vegetables, and even grass. If you want to learn more about Tennessee black bears,.