Image by Flickr user The Life of Bryan Image by 20081229-black-bear.jpg Big tongues make for good photo opts.

Rebounding forests, more housing developments, and more digital cameras are all thought to be partly responsible for a rise in bear sightings in South Carolina.

The State has an piece that really digs into the how, what, and why. Go check it out.

Back in July at least one black bear roamed into a back yard near Orangeburg.

In the upstate counties of Oconee, Pickens and Greenville bear sightings have climbed from 40 in 2004, to 212 this year. Originally, bear populations were much higher in South Carolina, but dropped as European settlers sought to eradicate them.