The possibility of seeing a black bear strolling across U.S. 61 South near the Big Black River is rare, but it’s not unheard of, and that’s why warning signs are now posted.

The markers on both sides of the four-lane highway, in addition to signs at other sites, act as a warning for motorists to slow down and simply be aware, said black bear biologist Brad Young of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

The site has become a common place for such sightings, he said. In fact, Young has received no fewer than 10 calls citing bear crossings in the past two years.

“Every year, I get stories about people driving along and spotting a bear,” he said. “Either that or people living (in the area) who see them.”

The first “Bear Crossing” sign was along Mississippi 16 near Rolling Fork, home of the Delta National Forest. The second was along U.S. 61 South near Port Gibson, where about two years ago a UPS driver spotted and photographed a young male. Young said the habitat there is ideal for the threatened animals.

“It’s because of the river,” he said. “It acts as a natural corridor. The bears follow the river or the woods.”

The signs are part of an initiative of the Bear Education and Restoration Group of Mississippi, a nonprofit group formed in 2004 that sets out to educate people and help provide a viable and acceptable population of black bears in the state. Young said Sabrina Chandler, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services in Jackson, contacted the Mississippi Department of Transportation to provide the signs.

“We knew there was a need for the signs throughout the state — especially in the South Delta region. We wanted to keep them consistent, so I contacted MDOT and told them that there is an increased bear population,” Chandler said. “The next thing I knew, we had signs galore. They said all they needed were locations, and they’d put the signs up.”

The signs near the Big Black went up Nov. 15 and more are planned to identify the bears’ travel corridors — one along U.S. 61 North near Onward, where President Theodore Roosevelt’s bear hunt in 1902 started the tradition of “teddy bears,” and another along Mississippi 15 near the Desoto National Forest.

“I tried to identify the areas where we have the most sightings,” Young said. “The signs serve two purposes — to alert people that there are bears and it also serves as a real good educational tool.”

To date, Mississippi is home to between 80 and 100 black bears, eight of which have been tagged with radio collars and are regularly monitored by biologists. Biologists are able to download GPS coordinates to track the bears’ movement. In Warren County, Young has tagged one bear near Davis Island. Others are in Sharkey, Issaquena and Wilkinson counties, he said.

With a near-depletion of the species in the early 20th century — blamed on destruction of bottomland forests and over-hunting — hunting restrictions were put on them by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 1992, black bears were listed as threatened and killing them warranted a $100,000 fine and a year in jail.

The increased bear population has meant run-ins with vehicles, causing death or sometimes close-calls. In the past two years, however, the report of bear deaths along highways has dwindled.

“It’s kind of surprising. With an increase, I usually expect more to be hit by cars,” Young said. “Some bears have been hit, but none have resulted in the death of the bear.”

The bear’s secretive nature is what’s attributed to the rare sightings. They will travel far and wide in search of food — berries, insects, fruits, nuts — and usually travel alone. Most sightings occur in June and July, which is breeding season, Young said.