Rise in bear sightings in the North Bay

Wildlife experts are trying to figure out what's causing an increase in bear sighting across the North Bay.

From 2010 to 2016, there was an average of 67 nuisance reports about bears in Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties, but that number jumped to more thab 200 last year, according to figures from the state Department of Fish and Wildlfie cited by the San Francisco Chronicle. There have been 200 such reports so far this year, the Chronicle reported.

Fish and Wildlife estimates there are between 30,000-40,000 black bears across the state.

Biologists are trying to track bear movements in hopes of getting an accurate count.

Potential reasons for the increase in sightings include more black bears roaming from Mendocino and Humboldt counties into the Bay Area, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Bears have also been looking for food, feeding on grapevines. 

In May there were multiple bear sightings near Sebastopol.

During the evacuation last month in South Lake Tahoe residents were warned that they could be returning home to bears.

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