Sweet trap set for black bear spotted in Rock Hill
Honey buns and sardines could be the key to trapping a young black bear that has been spotted multiple times in the city of Rock Hill, state wildlife officials said Monday.
Department of Natural Resources workers set a live trap Monday afternoon behind a home on East White Street. As early Tuesday afternoon, the bear had not been captured.
A trail of honey bun pieces leads into a green cage. At the back of the cage sits a burlap bag full of more honey buns and sardines.
Once the bear pulls at the bag, the thinking goes, a cable will cause the cage door to shut, trapping the bear.
DNR Cpl. Dwayne Rogers bought the treats from a local store. The combination works well for attracting bears - "something sweet and something stinky."
The White Street home was selected because the homeowner has been putting out table scraps in the backyard for cats, Rogers said. The bear was spotted at that home Monday afternoon.
The elderly homeowner - who didn't wish to be named - could soon look out his window and see a black bear in his back yard.
"That ain't something I've ever had before," he said.
Police fielded several calls Sunday and Monday about sightings of a bear near Main and White streets and the Castle Heights area of Rock Hill.
DNR Sgt. Sandy Young said officers had not spotted the bear, but they considered the callers reputable witnesses and prepared to set the live trap.
Reports began to come in around noon Sunday, with the most recent being at 5 a.m. Monday morning, in which the bear was said to be near dumpsters at Carquest Auto Parts on East Main Street.
DNR biologist Jeff Witt said he is confident the trap will work - especially with the honey buns and sardines.
"Their hearing and smell are very acute," Witt said.
The bear is most likely migrating from one territory to the next, looking for his own, he said.
"He'll most likely stay until he's not comfortable with his surroundings, and then he'll move on," Witt said.
The bear is probably ready to move on, he said, but it might feel trapped amid the sounds of traffic and development.
Young male bears usually are chased away by their mothers once the mothers go into heat, about every two years, Rogers said.
DNR officials will check the trap at least twice a day to see if the bear has been caught, Rogers said. Once the bear is captured, DNR hopes to return it to the mountains of Pickens or Oconee counties.
Black bear sightings
The sightings mark the first time in about 30 years a bear has been spotted in Rock Hill, Young said. Several have been spotted in York County over the years, he said - including one hit and killed by a car about a decade ago.
Young estimates the bear is a young male just passing through and looking for territory. There is not a resident population of bears in the area.
"The bear has not exhibited any aggressive behavior - no damage or anything like that," Young said. "If you do see the bear, don't approach it. Leave it alone. Don't act aggressively."
In May, employees at a Charlotte trucking company reported seeing a black bear.
In two separate incidents, black bears were hit and killed by cars on nearby highways - one on I-77 and another on Highway 64 East in North Carolina.
Black bear facts
Black bears used to live throughout South Carolina, according to DNR. Populations still can be found in the mountains of the Upstate and in upper coastal counties and have increased during the past 15 years.
No one in the state has been injured by a bear in recorded history. Bears are attracted to residential areas when they smell food. They are particularly attracted to garbage, bird seed, pet foods, compost piles and grill grease.
Once they visit an area and are satisfied with the food source, they often return again.
Video below of DNR officials setting up the bear trap:
This story was originally published June 7, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Sweet trap set for black bear spotted in Rock Hill."