What happens when conservation efforts for a species are so successful that there's a boom in the population? Part field science, part conservation science, Backyard Bears looks at black bears - and other animals around the globe - who are rapidly becoming our neighbors in urban and suburban areas. North Carolina's black bears were once a threatened species, but now their numbers are rising in and around Asheville. Can humans and bears live compatibly? What are the long-term effects for the bears? Author Amy Cherrix follows the scientists who, in cooperation with local citizens, are trying to answer to these questions and more.