A male black bear was struck by a vehicle on U.S. 501 Sunday.
A video taken by a motorist shows the bear injured on the side of the road. It appears the accident happened about 11 a.m. near Coastal Carolina University in Conway.
Greg Lucas, spokesperson with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, confirmed Monday that it was a male bear. The bear had to be euthanized because of its injuries, Lucas said by text.
It appears that the person who hit the bear left the scene of the accident.
“It’s common for bears to get hit by vehicles, unfortunately,” according to a text from Kayla Brantley, SCDNR’s coastal bear biologist stationed at Samworth Wildlife Management Area in Georgetown County. “Bears are most active now as it is their breeding season.
“In addition to breeding season, bears are faced with habitat loss. All this land clearing is pushing them out of their natural habitat.”
SCDNR is investigating the incident.
This is a developing story.
Source Agencies
