Bears in our Asheville neighborhood

For an urban area, Asheville, North Carolina,  has an unusually large number of bears. This reflects its proximity to good bear habitat in the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains and the availability of food (mainly in trash cans) in city neighborhoods.  Black bear sightings in the city of Asheville are especially common in early spring and late fall when food availability in their natural habitat may be sparse. The attached photo was taken by a neighbor of ours in mid-July within about 100 yards of our house in Montford.

Momma bear and 3 cubs near our house in Asheville, North Carolina