Did you know?
Tennessee ranks No. 5 out of the 50 states in terms of where one is most likely to be killed by an animal. (Texas is No. 1.)So, which area wildlife should you beware of? According to numbers compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:Bees, wasps and hornets kill 58 people per year.Dogs kill 28 people per year.Cows kill 20 people per year.Spiders kill 7 people per year.Snakes kill 6 people per year.Bears kill less than one person per year.*Average annual deaths caused by animals in U.S., 2001 to 2013.
Last July, two hikers were on their way to Chattanooga’s Audubon Acres when they spotted a black bear alongside Ridgetop Drive, mere minutes from the crowded Hamilton Place mall area.
It was an unsettling idea for many suburbanites – but one that is becoming more mainstream. As certain wildlife populations expand in the Southeast, folks are having to learn to adapt as readily as the wildlife itself.
According to a 2012 statewide public opinion survey conducted by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, 87 percent of residents support having black bears in the state.
“The rub is when those bears start coming around the home,” says Dan Gibbs, TWRA wildlife biologist. For example, the survey found that while the majority of respondents supported having bears in the state, only 22 percent supported having bears near their neighborhood and 11 percent supported having bears near their home.