Black bear spotted in Greenville. 450 sighted in Upstate in 2024, how to report a sighting

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21-06-2025

A black bear was twice spotted near downtown Greenville, according to several social media reports on June 19 and June 20.
Rep. Chandra Dillard posted about the sighting on social media.
"Everyone loves Greenville; even the bears," she wrote in her post.
The bear was spotted in the Poe Mill, James St., Southern Side neighborhoods, according to her post.
"Don't engage. Call SC DNR 1-800-922-5431," she advised.
WYFF 4 reported that "a black bear was spotted twice in 24 hours near downtown Greenville."
The first sighting occurred on the night of June 19 on 6th Avenue near the Poe Mill area, and the bear was spotted again on June 20 on James Street, according to WYFF.
Black bears are roaming in the Upstate, and they're on the prowl for food.
Last year, there were 450 black bear sightings in the region, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Sightings are on the rise due to increased human activity and development in bear habitat and the use of technology like doorbell cameras, which allow for more sightings to be captured.
But is this reason to be worried about black bears? Not exactly.
"Black bears are so timid today partly because they evolved alongside such powerful predators as saber-toothed cats, American lions, dire wolves and short-faced bears, all of which became extinct only about 12,000 years ago," said the North American Bear Center. "Black bears were the only one of these that could climb trees, so black bears survived by staying near trees and developing the attitude: run first and ask questions later. The timid ones passed on their genes to create the black bear of today."
Here's what to know about black bears in the state.
Black bears are omnivores that eat both plants and animals. Their diet generally consists of berries, nuts, insects, fish, and meat. Because black bears are opportunistic, they will devour anything that is readily available, including human food and garbage. The black bear diet is also highly dependent on season and location.
Offensive black bear attacks are rare and usually occur in remote areas where bears come in contact with humans the least, per the North American Bear Center.
"The 750,000 black bears of North America kill less than one person per year on average, while men 18-24 are 167 times more likely to kill someone than a black bear," the center said.
When a human is attacked by a black bear, it is typically a defensive reaction to the person being too close ― a situation that is easily avoidable. Injuries that occur are usually minor. Since most black bears in the wild today are timid, they are more likely to run away to a tree when frightened.
"By contrast, startled grizzlies may charge and occasionally attack, making grizzlies over 20 times more dangerous than black bears," per the center.
According to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, there has never been a fatality or even an attack attributed to a black bear in S.C. In the eastern U.S., only two human fatalities attributed to bears have occurred over the last 100 years.
Current sustaining black bear populations exist in the mountains/upper Piedmont and northern coastal counties.
Never feed or approach bears. Intentionally feeding bears or allowing them to find anything that smells or tastes like food teaches bears to approach homes and people looking for more.
Secure food, garbage and recycling. Food and food odors attract bears, so do not reward them with easily available food, liquids or garbage.
Remove bird feeders when bears are active. Birdseed and grains have lots of calories, so they are attractive to bears. Removing feeders is the best way to avoid creating conflicts with bears.
Never leave pet food outdoors. Feed pets indoors when possible. If you must feed pets outside, feed in single portions and remove bowls afterwards. Store pet food where bears cannot see or smell it.
Clean and store grills, smokers. Clean grills after each use and make sure that all grease, fat and food particles are removed. Store clean grills and smokers in a secure area that keeps bears out.
Alert neighbors to bear activity. See bears in the area or evidence of bear activity? Tell your neighbors and share info on how to avoid bear conflicts.
You can report a black bear sighting to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources by visiting this link, https://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/bear/sightingform.html.
For black bear emergencies, call 911 or 1-800-922-5431.
Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at [e-mail]
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Black bear spotted in Greenville, SC: How to report a sighting in SC