State’s black bears have rebounded

By COLIN MURPHEY
Thousands of people are expected to gather this weekend, weather permitting, to celebrate an animal many will never have the privilege of actually setting their eyes upon, at least during the festivities.
Despite their relatively healthy numbers resulting in being removed from the endangered species list, the Louisiana black bear remains an extremely elusive creature.
Unlike other places such as Montana and other western states that continually grapple with bears encroaching on human settlements due to habitat degradation and loss of food supply, the bears in St. Mary Parish and other areas in southern Louisiana seemingly prefer solitude.
In fact, even during one of the boat trips into the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge during the annual Black Bear Festival in Franklin this weekend, one will be lucky to catch a glimpse of an animal that was once on the brink of extinction.
According to information on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) website, the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge, which covers an area of over 9,000 acres established in St. Mary Parish in 2001, is home to the Louisiana black bear.
The state mammal of Louisiana was removed from the endangered species list as of March 10 due in large part to population recovery and a stable habitat which includes the refuge in St. Mary Parish.
According to the FWS website, more than 80 percent of the bear’s habitat had been destroyed or was modified for human use by 1980 rendering it unusable for the bear. Due to cooperation between many entities including private land-owners, educational institutions, state and federal agencies and other non-governmental organizations, over 140,000 acres of bear habitat are now permanently protected.
It is estimated by the FWS that there are currently anywhere between 500 and 750 Louisiana black bears roaming the countryside.