(WYMT) – As summer heat settles in across the mountains, wildlife sightings are becoming more common, with bears and fawns showing up more frequently in neighborhoods, campsites, and across social media.
Ronnie Hylton, chief park ranger at the Breaks Interstate Park, said black bears are actively searching for food this time of year, which can bring them closer to people.
But, he said, most encounters with bears do not turn dangerous.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, if you encounter that bear, it’s going to run off. It doesn’t want anything to do with you,” he said.
Still, he said people can reduce the chances of attracting wildlife by securing anything that smells like food. That includes keeping trash sealed, storing food properly and cleaning outdoor grills.
If someone comes face-to-face with a bear that does not immediately leave, Hylton said the best response is to make yourself appear larger and louder.
“It’s very rare, but if that bear is still approaching you, you need to become louder, bigger,” Hylton said.
And in a worst-case scenario, he said, people should be ready to defend themselves with whatever tools they have on hand.
“If you were to be attacked by a bear, whatever you do, don’t play dead. Fight back,” he said.
But bears are not the only wildlife people are seeing more often right now.
Hylton said it is also fawn season, which means people may spot young deer curled up alone in shaded areas, something that can be mistaken for an animal in distress.
“Curled up in a ball and they look really cute, but what you should do is go ahead and back off and leave them there,” Hylton said. “The mom took them there while she goes out and browses and gets food.”
He said a “found fawn” is usually not lost, and human interference can be detrimental or even deadly for the deer.
“What you’re doing is that you’re separating the fawn from its mother,” Hylton said. “Although your intentions are good, the outcome is not.”
Hylton said it can be easy to see wildlife as a pet that needs rescuing, but he encouraged people to take a minute to consider the realities.
“You’ve got to realize that these processes have been in existence since the beginning of time,” he said. “You have to let nature take its course.”
Hylton also reminded the public to never feed wildlife, saying animals should not learn to see humans as a food source.
If you encounter an injured fawn, or one that is wandering around and crying for long periods of time, he said you should contact Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife if you are not on park property or reach out to a park ranger if you are.
Any interaction with a bear on park property should also be reported to the staff.