16,000 black bears in N. Carolina, most in world
First it was the woods. Then the mountains. Where do black bears like to go now? On North Carolina's beaches, coastal farmlands, or a resident's backyard. On occasion, black bears have been seen strolling down the middle of a city street in Raleigh or Greensboro.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission admits having the largest black bear population in the world, 16,000.