Bears on the move; sightings on the rise north of US90

Bears are migrating this time of year, and some of them are ending up in residential areas.
Though this has been a decades-long occurrence, the number of Louisiana black bears making incursions into populated areas seems to be increasing.
St. Mary Parish Councilman J Ina brought up the subject at the parish council’s Wednesday meeting.
Chief Executive Officer Henry “Bo” LaGrange said the parish has a bear conflict officer tasked with handling reports and complaints, and is also a liaison with state and federal wildlife officials.
“We also had a bear in Bakertown last week, I understand,” LaGrange said. “The bears are moving around and doing those kinds of things.”
LaGrange said it was previously believed that the most impact from bears was south of US 90. “Now it seems like we’re getting more infiltration all the way up La. 182,” he said. “Our anticipation is that at the renewal of our solid waste contract we’ll have an opportunity to sit down with Pelican Waste and talk about expanding the bear-resistant cart area.”
Willie Rack, of Ninth Street, Franklin, said his wife had recently gone out to the car and he heard a racket. “I went to the door and this bear was at the trash can,” he said. “The bear stared her down as if, ‘What you doing out here?’ Across the street…(the resident) got two feet from the trash can and the bear opened the trash can.”
He called the police departments, noting that it’s illegal to shoot the bears. “I did not know that they were that intelligent,” he said. “This bear would come to the trash can—he had cubs. He would take the food from my can and bring it to the cubs. Then he’d get some, and he’d sit down and eat, and come back. It’s a bad feeling especially when it’s at your house.”
LaGrange said persons having nuisance bear problems can contact the parish bear conflict officer for suggestions on how to keep bears out of trash receptacles, and other solutions.
Parish President David Hangagriff mentioned that the situation Rack mentioned is one of the more dangerous scenarios, when cubs are involved.
In other business:
—An ordinance was introduced amending and re-enacting the parish budgets; and several zoning and specific use items.
—Resolutions were approved for reconstruction of Flattown Road in Charenton from Chitmacha Trail to Ralph Darden Memorial Parkway; a cooperative endeavor agreement with the state regarding the Plantation Pump Station replacement; approving infrastructure improvement and construction of a welding training facility at the industrial site on the Charenton Navigation and Drainage Canal; and for professional engineering services for solid waste needs and facilities in the parish.
—Alvin P. Lodrigue Jr. was reappointed the the Fire Protection Dist. 7 board in Bayou Vista.