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Nov. 27, 2012 Black bear activity on the upswing in the Hill
Country and South Texas AUSTIN — Black bear activity in the Hill
Country and South Texas along the Rio Grande from Del Rio to
below Laredo is increasing, according to Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department biologists. Though historically it has been
very rare for bears to be sighted south or east of Val Verde
County, so far in 2012 there have been a dozen such sightings.
“This is likely a result of a growing number of bears in Mexico
dispersing and searching for food after severe droughts and
wildfires,” says TPWD biologist Jonah Evans of Alpine, the
department’s bear coordinator. “Whether these sightings signify
a permanent recolonization of Central and South Texas remains to
be seen.” While black bears are native to all of Texas, in the
early 1900’s, heavy hunting and trapping completely eliminated
them from the state. Currently,