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Back in Black: Is the Black Bear Population in the Smokies Increasing?

When we moved to Tennessee and first started going to the National Park, bear sightings were rare, or at least they were rare for us. We were lucky to see a bear or two each summer. It seems like in recent years, both personally and through social media, bear sightings are on the rise.

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All these bear sightings have left me wondering if there are more bears in the Smokies and East Tennessee...

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