BEAUMONT, Texas — Experts hosted a forum in Beaumont Wednesday to inform the public about bear sightings.
Last month, 12News covered the rare black bear sighting in Orange and it left many wondering if sightings will become more common.
The forum was hosted by Big Thicket Wildlife Preserve and BEARS, etc. at the Logon Café in Beaumont.
Experts say the arrival of more black bears is imminent and while it may sound scary to some, a rising black bear population would pose little to no threat to people in Southeast Texas.
"This is just one of the animals that is in the Big Thicket as they return, which is a dream come true for us," said Big Thicket Executive Director Diane Thompson.
Now, Thompson wants to prioritize educating the public about these creatures.
"Become educated and learn what to do. What do you do if you see a bear when you're out hiking?" she said.
BEARS, Etc. founder Kati Krouse says these bears will greatly benefit the region's ecosystem.
She says East Texas is the perfect black bear country.
"As they walk, they poop and they plant seeds along the way. They are also our top predator," Krouse said. "They are actually called an indicator species. In that if you have bears there, food sources are plentiful, and if they're thriving there, then it's an even better ecosystem."
Krouse says more black bears in the area is no cause for fear or panic.
"They're only about as tall as me. They're not, you know, 'going to eat your kids at the bus stop' type of bears," she said.
Just getting to know more about these shy animals is a great way to welcome them, according to Krouse.
"Because Texas is so much private lands that we need the landowners' cooperation in order to bring back these bears," Krouse said.