North Carolina has instituted a 4 year Black Bear Study(the longest ever in the eastern part of the USA) to study their food, reproduction and mortality patterns----40 Bears will be collared and monitored in and around the Asheville to determine what the Bear/human interactions so as to make future recommendations on best practices for co-existence..........From a low of about 1500 bruins in 1970, "no kill" sanctuaries around the North Carolina encouraged a robust rebound that has at least 17,000 Bears roaming the Tar Heel State

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Asheville 

site of

 major bear 

study

Sabian Warren, swarren@citizen-times.com8:37 a.m. EDT April 29, 2014

WNC human-bear encounters

The number of reports from area residents to
 the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission involving
complaints or concerns about bears.

1993

22

2009

511

2010

312

2011

552

2012 
467

2013
 569

Source: N.C. Wildlife