Urban bears

 We coexist with urban bears in Asheville, North Carolina.  There's a population of about 300, denning down in local ravines, under decks and porches, and various other places.  They tend to be fecund, as their diets include food thrown out in garbage in unsecured cans.

We were first alerted to this group as a couple of the cubs were rummaging through our compost, quickly moving a garbage can behind the apartment next door.

As I went out the front door to alert Tim, some young neighbors said that the bears were on the other side of the house -- and they said there had been four cubs last summer.   And sure enough, all four appeared with Mom and discovered paydirt in our neighbor's trash can, hauling out the bag and proceeding to eat lettuce, scoop out extra hummus from a container, picking through food that was in the trash.  Sigh.  

They're busy working parents of a young kid, but it's time for a bear strap.  We have one on our trash can.

At least one of the cubs was eating lettuce!