Last Updated on July 21, 2019 9:59 am
It's that time of year when bears are stirring and looking for food and getting closer to homes and businesses in the area. The WataugaOnline.com social media outlets ( Facebook and Twitter) have received several reports of bear sightings within the last few days. Below are four accounts.
The Loflin family from Banner Elk sent in two videos of a bear encounter on Thursday. Those videos can be seen below.
Ryan Loflin shares with WataugaOnline.com, “Around 3:30pm on Thursday, I went downstairs to let my dog out. The second she got outside, she started barking and begging to come in. Not but 5 minutes later, a mama bear and 3 cubs climb on our porch, and steal Riley’s ( our dog) dog food!!”
A bear joined in the running of The Grandfather Mountain Marathon between Boone and Grandfather Mountain.
The marathon, part of the 64th annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, took place Saturday, July 13, and saw 286 runners assault a grueling course, spanning from Kidd Brewer Stadium on the Appalachian State University campus in Boone, N.C., to MacRae Meadows at the base of Grandfather Mountain in Linville, according to Natalie Brunner with the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation
Brunner adds that one runner, Zack Barricklow, was in for a surprise.
“So about at mile 20 or 21, we came up on the backside of a giant black bear,” he said. “The back of it was definitely shoulder height to me (Barricklow is 5’11’’). We decided to let it do its thing. Eventually, it ventured back up into the woods.” Needless to say, the bear didn't finish the race.
Shelly Pierce shared her encounter from Thursday night in the Glens Of Grandfather. Shelly's videos can be seen below.
Julie Jones also shared her encounter at her neighbor's home off Bairds Creek Road. Jones says that the bear “stayed over half a day here after a brief rest in the woods by my neighbor's house before moving on.” She also noted that the bear also nursed them after the babies practiced climbing the tree she is next too in one of the photos below. She also shared a video that can be seen below.
Sent in via twitter
Looked outside…guess who is coming to dinner?@wxbrad @WataugaOnline @wesgrimes pic.twitter.com/J3VhEznt5R
— Big Mac DaddyB (@BertBrim) July 10, 2019
So look who showed up for dinner!! @wxbrad @ExploreBoone @BertBrim @WataugaDemocrat @WataugaOnline pic.twitter.com/447IzhjmSj
— Nanneyboat (@nanneyboat) July 10, 2019
Loflin family videos
Videos: Shelly Pierce
Video: Julie Jones
