8.28.2007

Ursus americanus luteolus ?

Since Katrina, 60% of the natural tree canopy in our area has been destroyed.
As a result, animals have also had to adapt.
Recently we lost some of our free ranging chickens.
They vanished one night and left only their feathers behind at the bottom of the hill.
We also had signs of a really very large animal breaking limbs on shrubs and low branches,
and breaking native plants at about hip high- especially around the chicken coops.
The dog will not go down the hill anymore near the katrina debris piles.
We thought - is it the panther we saw before the storm?
The bobcat? a really large racoon?
Then we found some really unusual droppings near where they
vanished. Tubular very large scat with lots of seed and grains and very dark with some black hair in it.

we did some image research and found that it suggested that
we may have a bear in the area.
Bears are omnivores and we have blackberries, bluberries, muscadines and pears for it to eat, as well as small deer.
We have recently penned our birds to protect from whatever predator is in the area.

to learn more about the Louisiana Black bear
http://www.bbcc.org/web/index.php
and
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/i/a/saa9e.html
and
http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/around/facts/bear.htm