New Hampshire

Conflicts Between Bears, Humans Spike in NH

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department says conflicts between humans and bears rose sharply this past year, with the state seeing its highest numbers of bear killings since 2014.

The agency's Bear Project Leader Andrew Timmons attributed the spike to a shortage of acorns and other food sources for the animals. As a result, bears took aim at bird feeders and garbage dumps which increased contact with people.

Timmons estimates that here will be around 800 reports of bear-human conflicts in 2018 compared to only 410 for 2017. There also was an increase in bear killings by the state and residents, both of which are legal. The state killed eight nuisance bears compared to two in 2017. Residents killed 24, up from 14 in 2017.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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