On a quiet Sunday outside Benavides in Duval County, a game camera on a private ranch caught something no one there expected to see: a black bear strolling up to a deer corn feeder like it owned the place. The find shocked the ranch owners and led them to call state wildlife officials. If biologists verify the photos, it would mark the first confirmed black-bear presence ever recorded in Duval County.
Ranch owner Anna Aguirre Thomas made the discovery while scrolling through camera images after her husband Joel woke her up to show her the shots. At first, she guessed javelinas or coyotes before realizing she was looking at a bear, she told MySA. The pictures show the animal nosing around a corn feeder in a clearing ringed with scrub and mesquite. The couple reported the sighting to Texas Parks and Wildlife the next day.
State Officials Weigh Black Bear Status And Range
Texas Parks and Wildlife lists the American black bear as a threatened species and keeps a county-by-county map of confirmed sightings and breeding populations. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, established breeding populations remain centered in the Trans-Pecos and a handful of West Texas counties, although solitary or dispersing bears sometimes turn up in other regions.
Biologists Say It Was Likely A Young Wanderer
Texas Parks and Wildlife biologists told local outlets that the Benavides visitor was most likely a young sub-adult roaming in search of food or a mate, behavior that can send bears far beyond their usual stomping grounds. Biologist Lerrin Johnson told the San Antonio Express-News that sub-adults often explore widely and urged residents to keep their distance and promptly report any sightings to authorities, the Express-News reported.
How This Sighting Fits Regional Trends
The agency’s county map already shows confirmed reports in several South Texas counties, and officials say transient bears have been popping up more often as populations rebound in other areas. If verified, the Benavides photos would add to a recent run of widely shared sightings that hint at occasional bear dispersal along the Rio Grande corridor, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Practical Steps For Ranchers And Neighbors
Wildlife experts recommend locking down anything that might tempt a bear, including deer feeders, pet food and garbage, and using deterrents such as electric fencing to cut the odds of a return visit. BearWise offers detailed tips on fencing, feeder placement and general bear safety. Anyone who spots a bear is advised to note the location and behavior, then contact a local game warden or Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist so officials can document the sighting and recommend next steps.
For the ranchers who found the photos, the moment lands somewhere between bucket-list wildlife encounter and safety briefing. Aguirre Thomas has already nicknamed the visitor “Baloo” and called the discovery “crazy exciting” but also “very alarming,” according to MySA.
