A man in East Texas got a big surprise when he discovered a black bear walking through his property on security cameras.

What happened?

The rare bear sighting startled homeowner Jim Missildine, as there are no resident black bear populations in the area and they are hardly ever seen, according to a report by Chron. 

"At first I thought it was the neighbor's dog running loose — until I zoomed in on it," Missildine said. 

In Texas, black bears are a state-threatened species, but there are established bear populations in nearby Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department speculated that the roaming bear likely traveled from one of those neighboring states.

Why is it concerning?

When animals move outside of their typical habitats and are spotted in unlikely places, this usually can be attributed to human intervention. Our population growth and construction of buildings and roads destroy the natural homes and resources that wildlife depend on, forcing them to seek shelter elsewhere. 

More frequent and severe weather events caused by human-driven climate change also disrupt animals and the environment, ruining local biodiversity. 

However, black bears used to be native throughout most of Texas, but "were largely extirpated [by] the 1950s due to overhunting, habitat destruction, and predator control programs," according to Chron. 

This and other recent sightings of black bears in the eastern part of the state could be an indication that the species is naturally expanding and returning to one of its native regions. 

What can I do to help? 

Despite the reason why black bears have been spotted in Texas, it's always important to treat wild animals with respect for everyone's safety. Wandering black bears are just searching for resources and can too easily be harmed by human society. 

This starts with protecting the environment at large as well as taking care of your local neighborhood. When animals have adequate habitats and access to food and water, they don't need to enter human-occupied spaces, which helps limit dangerous encounters. 

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