Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
Roanoke Island, NC

I jumped out of the car to try to photograph a turtle that was crossing the road. The turtle was too quick for me, but, I got a black bear instead! This bear was no more than twenty feet from me and I think we were both so startled that we just stared at each other for a few minutes without moving. He finally decided to move off, but, was in no great hurry. A very exciting encounter!
This refuge has one of the highest densities of black bears on the East Coast. It is common for us to see anywhere from 5-9 individuals in just an hour or two of searching.