PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Maine wildlife officials are asking residents to take precautions to avoid unwanted confrontations with black bears.

The state has the largest population of black bears in the contiguous 48 states.

Bears are awakening in the state, and they’re hungry, which means sometimes they enter residential areas looking for food in human garbage.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife said Monday that residents should secure their garbage and recycling, remove and store bird feeders and never leave pet food outdoors.