It's easy to forget, but Acadiana is part of Bear Country. Some Broussard residents learned that lesson the hard way Friday morning.

Macie Zoble posted Friday morning that a bear walked up to her house overnight. Zoble's home security camera captured video of the ursine creature walking up to her door.

The black bear was spotted later in the morning walking towards another home near the intersection of Marteau Road and East Fairfield Drive.

It's not the first time bears have been spotted in the Broussard area. Back in 2014, a bear sighting caused a minor panic off the Ambassador Caffery corridor. The bear in that case was never found.

Then in 2019, a black bear was spotted off E. Broussard Road near the Vermilion River.

Broussard Police Chief Vance Oliver says his officers responded to a call about a bear in the area of Fairfield Drive and Rue Papillion. Olivier says his officers did not spot the bear. Olivier says others told the officers they saw the bear run towards the Lexi Falls Subdivision. Olivier urges people who see the bear to stay away from it and to call 911 or the Broussard Police Department immediately.

Acadiana, especially St. Mary and Iberia Parishes, are prone to bear sightings. Bears sightings are possible farther north, especially in locations along or near the Bayous Vermilion and Teche. Bears uses those waterways as pathways and sometimes will sometimes wander into inhabited areas.

This is the time of year in which bears are coming out of hibernation, making bear sightings in Acadiana more likely. According to bearwise.org:

Most bears leave their dens for good (in April). Cubs get their first look at their new world. Mother bears continue to nurse and keep their den and cubs clean. Bears that found human-provided foods last year head straight for these food sources.

Those food sources include animal carcasses, bird feeders, pet food, unsecured trash cans and outdoor refrigerators, and even ant mounds. To protect your home from a possible bear invasion, lock your outdoor refrigerators and trash cans, take down any bird feeders in your yard, and feed your pets inside and store any pet food in your house. Bearwise also advises people to clean out their sheds, their cars, and their outdoor grills to remove any food residue or scents that might attract bears.

Yes, bear car break-ins have happened.

Yes, Acadiana. We're officially under a Bear Watch.

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