Scientists in Virginia are seeing an uptick in bears with mange, a disease that causes bears to lose fur and can kill them. This disease is fairly common in other states and has been spreading throughout the Commonwealth in recent years.
More than 250 bears with mange have been reported so far this year in Virginia, and the disease has now made its way into Floyd and Giles counties said Katie Martin, with the Department of Wildlife Resources.
“It has been kind of heartbreaking to see it march down the Blue Ridge and more and more bears be impacted by it,” Martin said.
Mange is caused by a mite that gets under bear’s skin. It’s itchy and causes them to lose their hair, said Marcella Kelly a Virginia Tech wildlife professor.
“They can be so uncomfortable that they lose weight, become emaciated,” Kelly said. “And then they ultimately can’t make it through hibernation, either because their body condition is poor or they don’t have much hair left.”
Kelly is in the middle of a three-year study to learn how the disease is affecting the number of bears in Virginia. She and her team assemble traps, luring them with donuts. The bears aren’t injured, but they do leave behind a few hairs, which Kelly analyzes to trace their DNA. She said bears have a strong sense of smell, and are highly motivated by sweets.
“They also do have memories,” Kelly said. “Like it’s clear to us during our second year. They were ready for us. So, they had to remember where those traps were.”
Kelly said some bears appear to survive mange, one bright spot as the disease is expected to continue spreading to more areas in Virginia.
This time of year, drivers should also be on the lookout for bears crossing roads in forested areas. They tend to wander in search of food before they go into hibernation, said Martin.
"Bears are just trying to fatten up as much as possible before the winter," according to Martin. "As they’re moving looking for food, they can cross roadways and we do see an increase in those vehicle collisions this time of year, unfortunately."
Drivers should be extra cautious when driving at dawn and dusk.
Marcella Kelly has also been tracking how climate change may be affecting bear behavior. Warmer weather may cause them to have trouble going into hibernation, and changes in the availability in some plants may drive more bears into human areas in search of food.
Katie Martin said there are plenty of acorns for bears to eat this year. She said reports of bears misbehaving near homes has decreased, as a result.
