For years around here, pics have popped up, DNR said that they weren't around, in order to protect them. In these part's, every other bubba in the country would be trying to find the Endangered cat to kill it.
Recently, as far as we know, they have been restocking them in the Smokey Mtn Natl Park, they will be protected should they stay there.
I hope they take, as mentioned already, there are a lot of ferral animals that need to be depleted. For years, DNR was taking problem bears out of the Natl Park & relocating them to another about 2 hours east of us, most would find their way back to the Park, in recent years they have been sighted within 30 minutes to an hour of where we live.
Years ago, there were bear sightings West of us on a regular basis, one was finally killed, found out it was a problem bear that was being hauled from ARK to New Mexico & the transporter decided he could make more money by dropping them off in TN, wonder how that worked, you'd think he'd have to contact NM DNR upon delivery & release:confused3:
Ronnie