Earlier this year there was an incident in Asheville, North Carolina, where a black bear attacked a couple and their dog. Black bears have become a common sight in the gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and a recent study found that not only are bears near Asheville larger than in more remote areas but also give birth earlier than other bears. In the following article, David Frey, managing editor at The Wildlife Society, goes through the details of the study.