A resident of the Paducah Wells community, located about four miles northwest of Charleston where the Delta meets the hills, got a bit of a shock last Thursday (July 24) after looking outside and seeing a black bear roaming the premises.
The person, who asked not to be identified, contacted The Sun-Sentinel about the encounter, saying the bear was on their property for roughly five hours.
The animal was spotted by the property owner shortly after 11 a.m. The bear climbed a tree in the backyard about 11:30 a.m., and remained there until 3:30 p.m. — activity observed by the owner from the safety and comfort of a viewing area inside their home.
After climbing down the tree, the bear sat at the base. After a short time, it stood up, wandered around the tree for a while and then began running away until out of sight.
The property owner naturally said it was a surprise to discover the animal near their residence and reported the incident to someone affiliated with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP).
A relative of the property owner took photos and shot video of the bear from a distance. In some of the images, it is clear that the mammal knew it was being watched.
The bear's image was also captured as a shadowy figure on surveillance video.
Although the bear appeared to have left the area, and there has never been a documented black bear attack on a human in Mississippi, the homeowner said they "probably won't ever go outside at night again by myself."
The MDWFP website devotes a lot of attention to black bears, which once were plentiful in Mississippi, were listed as an endangered animal species in the state in 1984 but are making a comeback.
According to a "Bear Sightings in Mississippi" map on the MDWFP website, there have been 528 reports of bear sightings in the state since 2016. The map, which has not yet been updated with the Paducah Wells sighting as of 1:35 p.m. on July 28, shows only one previous black bear sighting in Tallahatchie County, in the boot area west of Philipp.
The question is, what to do if you encounter a bear. The MDWFP website features a page entitled "Living with Bears" that offers a wealth of information.
The following is from a section of the MDWFP website entitled "Bear Behavior":
Mississippi black bears are normally very shy and secretive animals and are not aggressive towards humans. Black bears, by nature, are not predatory. Black bear attacks in general are very rare and in most cases are the result of underlying causes, most of which are avoidable. There has never been a case documented in Mississippi of a human being attacked by a bear; however, bears are large, powerful wild animals and should be treated with caution and respect.
Bears have acute senses of hearing and smell; in many cases, a bear will know you are coming and leave the area before you are aware of their presence. However, if you were to encounter a bear in the wild, one of two actions are most common. The bear may immediately run away when it sees you, or the bear may stand tall on its hind legs. Contrary to popular belief, this is not aggressive behavior of any kind, and the bear is not getting ready to charge or attack. The bear is simply standing up to get a better look at what it has just encountered. Even in the case of a female with her young, generally bears do not aggressively defend their cubs. After the bear sees what you are, it will likely go back down on all fours and leave the area either walking or running.
If the bear feels cornered or stands its ground to protect its food, it will exhibit defensive aggressive behavior. This behavior is the bear's way of saying, "You are too close and need to back off." The bear will "pump" the ground, appearing to do short, choppy push-ups, and you may hear a loud popping noise, which is the bear popping its jaws together. Quick snorts or huffing sounds are also common during this type of behavior display. In some cases, the bear may even "false charge", meaning that the bear will quickly run within a few feet of you and stop.
