WASHINGTON COUNTY, N.C. — A car slammed into a 600 pound black bear, wrecking the vehicle and killing the bear Monday in Washington County.
The North Carolina Bear Festival, which aims to celebrate the state’s black bears, shared the story on Facebook.
At 5:15 a.m., a car was driving on Highway 64 just east of Plymouth when it hit the animal. The driver was not hurt, but the bear died.
“We have an expanding human population and an expanding black bear population that are literally colliding on our highways in Eastern NC,” the festival wrote. “In 1972 there [were] only 2 bears killed on NC highways. In 2011, there were 272 bears killed on NC highways.”
The festival warns bears are becoming more active at this time of year, and peak activity will happen during breeding season from mid-May to mid-July.
“The bottom line here is ‘Be Bear Aware’ when you are driving here in Bear-olina,” the festival said.
