Black Bear hit by vehicle in Texas Hill Country: How common are bears in Texas?

REAL COUNTY, Texas – A driver and responding law enforcement got quite the surprise when they came upon a creature seldom seen in the State of Texas which was hit after wandering in the roadway in the Hill Country.

Officials said it happened on June 1. First responders headed to the scene where a vehicle collided with a Black Bear in Real County on Highway 83. Real County is northwest of San Antonio.

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“It isn’t often we get a glimpse of one of these residents of Real County up close. This one got a little too close for comfort when it was struck by a motorist June 1st around 10:00 PM about 10 miles south of Garvins store,” Real County Sheriff Nathan T. Johnson said on Facebook.

The driver had minor injuries, but the bear died in the crash.

How common are bears in Texas?

Black Bears are seldom seen in Texas, but there are a few areas they are known to be in the state.

“At least two subspecies of Black Bear are thought to occur in Texas: the Mexican Black Bear (Ursus americanus eremicus) and the New Mexico Black Bear (subspecies U. a. amblyceps). Both are found in West Texas in desert scrub or woodland habitats within scattered mountain ranges, predominantly the Chisos and Guadalupe Mountains. Both subspecies are state-listed as endangered in Texas,” Texas Parks and Wildlife says.

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There have also been sightings reported in the Texas Hill Country and Central Texas.

“From the Big Bend to Austin, bear sightings have surprised biologists and the public alike. On the other hand, at least one sighting per year of Black Bears in the Hill Country is not uncommon. These individuals may be truly wild animals looking for suitable habitat or mates, but it is entirely possible that they are released or escaped captive animals. In any case, the chances of a recently established population of Black Bears in the Hill Country are remote. Central Texans are probably seeing wandering individuals from farther west,” the agency says.

Sightings of a separate subspecies of black bear, known as the Louisiana black bear, have also been reported in parts of East Texas over the years.