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DELBARTON, W.Va. — Those who travel along King Coal Highway near Mingo Central High School have recently noticed frequent visitors in the area.

A mama bear and three cubs.

Travelers have also witnessed people feeding the wild animals. Many have seen folks drop off food at the intersection of Delbarton, Matewan and King Coal Highway.

“It’s basically a ‘T’ and people will pull up and it’s kinda hard to see around the corner,” said local photographer Wes Wilson. “People that don’t know what’s going on, see all these cars parked there and you’ll even have people standing out, almost in the middle of the road, watching the bear. Another issue was the bear would get startled and wanna run out in the road.”

Wilson is a local photographer and helps with the Mingo Central football team. He says he’s worried about the players who drive and those students who are attending summer school.

“It’s concerning with student drivers,” added Wilson. “Some of these kids will see adults out here setting an example … feeding the bear, going out and trying to pet it and they want to do the same thing. It’s a dangerous situation.”

It may be tempting to feed scraps to a bear that wanders near civilization, but officials with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources say not to risk it. According to their website, it is not illegal to feed bears, but it is dangerous for man and beast alike. They add that a fed bear is a dead bear.

“The most concerning thing was people wanting to treat it like a pet. Not only did they want a reaction, but they wanted an interaction with the animal. It’s great to see this stuff and enjoy the wildlife. But, it’s a whole ‘nother thing to be coming up there and dumping dog and cat food. You know, you’re feeding it and creating a habit.”

Black bears are naturally fearful of humans. However, any wild animal has the potential to injure or kill when it feels threatened.