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Bear spotted in Matthews again after several weekend sightings

By Liz Foster
By Liz Foster

MATTHEWS, N.C. — There will be more bear sightings in the area, an expert told Channel 9.

Not long after a black bear was spotted Tuesday going back into the woods near Highway 74 and Interstate 485, multiple people in a nearby Matthews neighborhood called 911.

"There's a bear in my neighborhood," one woman told the emergency dispatcher.
"Yes, we are aware," the dispatcher said.

Tom Wasso came outside to see why police were in the neighborhood and said he saw officers looking for the bear.

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“The trash cans right there were all tipped over. I just thought it was funny,” Wasso said.

Bears are usually scared of humans, but Chris Matthews of Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation said residents should expect to see more bear sightings in the county.

[Black bear reported in Matthews days after video surfaced in Waxhaw]

“With all the development that’s going on, their habitat is disappearing,” Matthews said.

He said the bear spotted in Matthews is likely the same bear that was caught on a home security video in Waxhaw last weekend.

Matthews said bears fare better near cities because they don’t have to work as hard to find food.

Because of that, they can be up to 30 percent larger in urban areas.

“It’s kind of scary and it’s sad. It’s sad that we have to force them out of their habitats,” said Melissa Jones, who lives down the street from where the bear was spotted.

Experts said it’s not unusual to have reports of bear sightings in the spring. They said the black bear will have likely moved on within the next week or two and found a new place to live.

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