Wildlife Center of Virginia sees a record-setting number of black bears

The Wildlife Center of Virginia broke a record this year, but not one that they wanted to break. They have now seen a record number of black bears admitted into their care.

As of September 7, the Wildlife Center has received 28 black bears this year. They usually only see 18-20 bears a year. Currently, they have around a dozen bears at the center, with most being cubs. The latest bear was brought to them on Sunday after being hit by a car, suffering from fractures in two of his legs.

Experts at the center think a growing human population could be causing the increase in injured bears, as there's more opportunities for them to cross paths.

Outreach Coordinator Raina Krasner says, "Sadly, that means bears are crossing human roads, and are being hit by cars, and are suffering injuries, or being separated from their mothers, because they are startled by a domestic animal, or by a human."

The Wildlife Center of Virginia is talking to a specialist out of Richmond to perform surgery on the latest injured bear, whose recovery may be a lengthy one.

The Shenandoah Valley area has reported lots of issues with bears in the recent months, and you can find a variety of those stories in the 'Related Stories' section of this article.