Multiple black bears were spotted in Chatham County in and around Pittsboro and near the Chatham County and Lee County line in May and June of 2016. Sightings date back to 2013 in areas of Carrboro and Chapel Hill.
Black bears are not considered aggressive animals like grizzly bears. Black bears are not pack animals and roam.
While some people think we are encroaching on their territory, almost the opposite is happening. It is thought that the bears have been moving in to more suburban areas of North Carolina in recent years as their population rapidly grows.
Deer were first spotted in Chatham County around 1972.
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