Tennessee's black bear population is the highest it's been in the past 100 years, and they're not just in East Tennessee anymore. The state's most famous wild animal is expanding its territory and moving into parts of Middle Tennessee. State wildlife officials are embarking on an education campaign so people will know what to do if they see them, and their timing couldn't be better, because Midstate hunters are starting to capture pictures of black bears on game cameras in our viewing area.

"It's going to be a learning curve as bears move into new areas that are occupied by people," says TWRA's Ben Layton. "People are going to have to adapt to bears being in there and putting up that food source because that goes a long way toward preventing problems bears can cause."

Just how far west bears have already been confirmed, and why what happened to one woman in Putnam County may be a sign of things to come Tuesday night on FOX17 NEWS.
SPECIAL REPORT Tuesday: Bears in the Midstate