Occasionally, however, a person will walk between a mother bear and her cubs, or a hiker's dog might challenge a bear. One such incident in resulted in a hiker in the George Washington National Forest getting clawed and bit, requiring a trip to the hospital in Winchester. Moving "problem bears" is expensive, and requires identifying an isolated location for a problem bear's new home.
We like to think they live happily ever after, but my instincts are it is probably not What we want to know is: one, what happens to these bears? Two, do they cause conflicts where you put them?
Three, do they stay there forever? Or are they all dying? Because if they're all dying, is it humane to move a bear that's going to be dead in three months? The bear population declined in Virginia as farming replaced forested habitat with cropland and hayfields in the 's.
Residents may sign up for a six month payment plan to pay this fee and there is a Fee Waiver process for low-income residents. These bear-resistant trash carts will be distributed on a first come first served basis while supplies last.
Additional purchases of these bear-resistant trash carts by the town will be subject to available funding. Application for Bear Resistant Trash Carts. Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents. They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below. Please enable JavaScript in your browser for a better user experience. Depending on weather and food conditions, black bears enter their winter dens between October and January.
In Virginia, most bears in mountainous areas den in large, hollow trees. Other den types include fallen trees, rock cavities, and brush piles in timber cut areas, open ground nests, and man-made structures e. Dens are usually lined with a bed of leaf litter and they have been found up to 96 feet above the ground they are good climbers. Bears will not eat, drink, urinate or defecate while denning. Bears are easily aroused and may be active during warm winter days. On occasion they may venture from their dens, walk about, and return to denning.
They emerge from their dens from mid-March to early May. From to reports were sporadic and primarily focused in the northwestern mountain counties of Frederick and Shenandoah. Since , reports have increased in frequency and geographic spread, and mange has been confirmed in 14 counties. DWR asks anyone who sees a bear showing signs of mange as described below to take photos, note your exact location take GPS coordinates, if possible , and submit this information to the VA Wildlife Conflict Helpline at vawildlifeconflict usda.
Mange is a highly contagious skin disease, caused by a mite, which affects many wild and domestic mammals. Results to date indicate that the most common cause of mange in Virginia bears is Sarcoptes scabiei , which is a mite that burrows into the skin and can only be seen with the assistance of a microscope.
Currently, there are many unknowns related to the occurrence and spread of mange in bears. Research efforts are underway to understand these processes. Mites can transfer to a new host when an unaffected animal comes into direct physical contact with an infested host. In addition, mites that fall off an infested host can persist in the environment and may infect a new animal that enters a site contaminated with mange mites. Because bears are relatively solitary, the biggest risk for environmental transmission likely occurs under conditions where they congregate, either naturally e.
Clinical signs include:. The extent of these clinical signs is variable, ranging from hairless areas on the ears and face or small patches along the body in mild to moderate cases, to hair loss and lesions covering almost the entire body in severe cases. Severely affected bears are typically emaciated, lethargic, and often found wandering apparently unaware of their surroundings. Although mange can be a cause of mortality in Virginia black bears, there is currently no clear evidence that the disease is limiting bear populations in Virginia or in any other state, including areas where mange has been present for many years.
Additional research is being considered that could provide information on survival, movements, transmission routes, and potential susceptibility of certain populations in Virginia. DWR takes the problem of mange and its potential implications on black bears seriously. The most important step right now is continuing to work with the public to collect reports of mange-infested bears. Over the past three years, the information gathered from these reports and submission of biological samples has helped DWR to tailor response protocols and provide better information to the public, both of which depend on the severity of the infestation.
Accurate data on mange-affected bears is helping us track spread and potential modes of transmission and create procedures to quickly confirm cases in new areas.
This data is also being shared cooperatively with neighboring states where mange is present so that we can work collaboratively to determine long-term solutions and potential impacts on bear populations. There are still many unknowns about mange in black bears. Bears are resilient animals and some do survive infestations of mange. DWR evaluates each report on a case-by-case basis to determine a response. For many bears that are still in acceptable body condition and behaving normally, DWR does not recommend humane dispatch.
Reports of mange in new areas outside of the 14 county zone are responded to in accordance with established field protocols to quickly assess whether an animal is infested with mange or not. At this time, there is no known, effective, long-acting treatment for mange in wild black bear populations.
DWR, in cooperation with The Wildlife Center of Virginia, treated black bears infested with sarcoptic mange during a two-year experimental trial beginning in While hair regrowth and resolution of skin abnormalities were observed in treated bears, upon release back to their home range, the majority of these bears became re-infested with mange and exhibited even more significant clinical signs within approximately one year of their release.
In addition, ongoing research in other states has not demonstrated the long-term effectiveness of treating bears with mange.
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