(TENNESSEE)  Gators, bears and mountain lions—oh no! The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) says they’re expanding across the Volunteers State. A gator was caught near Chattanooga last Friday (8/13/2021).

Alligators

TWRA caught a young 3-foot gator this past Friday (8/13/2021) in a Bradley county pond. Alligators are naturally expanding their range into Tennessee from the southern border states.  Alligators expanding into Tennessee is just another species that we must learn to coexist with like many of the other southern states.

Alligators can survive Tennessee winters by going into a hibernation-like dormancy called brumation. They can withstand periods of ice by sticking their snout out of the water before it freezes which allows them to continue breathing.

Alligators are opportunistic feeders that prey on fish, turtles, snakes, frogs, and waterfowl. Occasionally they will feed on larger animals such as possums, raccoons, and deer.

And a word to the wise, don’t think that you can outrun a gator. Although they tire quickly, an alligator can reach speeds of 35 miles per hour.

Mountain Lions

First, mountain lions and cougars are the same animal. They are known as “the cat of many names”: puma, panther, mountain cat, mountain lion, mountain screamer, painter and catamount…Shakespear’s “What’s In A Name” is certain appropriate with this feline.

There haven’t been any cougars in Tennessee since the early 1900s. Similar to Tennessee’s wild elk and buffalo, the cougar was extirpated from the state around the early 1900s due to overhunting and habitat loss.

However, the cougar may be coming back to Tennessee. There have been some confirmed sightings in Tennessee. Middle Tennessee cougar sightings along Natchez Trace around Dickson County.

The speed of these large cats is slightly faster than a black bear—around 35 to 40 miles per hour and roam an area of 50 to 150 square miles.

Black Bears

TWRA estimates there currently are about 6,000 black bears in the state. Every east Tennessee county has black bears living there. The state’s wildlife agency reports the animals moving into middle and east Tennessee as well. In addition, black bears are migrating into west Tennessee from the Arkansas mountains. As a result, TWRA estimates that bear sightings will become the norm in all Tennessee counties.

Plus, the state agency now confirms bear sightings in Sumner and neighboring Wilson counties. A total of 41 bears have been killed in mid-state counties Pickett, Cumberland and Fentress over the last two years.

Trail cameras have even photographed black bears roaming Hunters Lane in neighboring Davidson County.

Male black bears have a 15-80 square mile roaming range, while females limit their area to about 12 square miles. Black bears running speed can top out around 35 miles per hour.

To give you a feel for the roaming range of these animals, Murfreesboro is about 39 square miles, Rutherford County has approximately 624 square miles.

If you’re wondering how large to black bears grow?  The largest killed in the U.S.A. was a 700 pound creature in New Jersey. Most of Tennessee’s bears max out in the 500 pound range.

For more information, visit the TWRA’s website: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - TN.gov

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