Add another black bear sighting to the tally around the state.
One was spotted Monday morning, July 7, in the Village of Greenhills north of Cincinnati, according to a Facebook post from the Greenhills Police Department. And that’s on the heels of sightings in Springfield Township near Cincinnati and Wooster, in Northeast Ohio, over the weekend, as reported by the Wooster Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY network.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, black bear sightings are increasing around the state as their population grows. The bears, especially young males, are known to wander through the state in search of territory and mates.
Here’s what happened in the latest sighting.
Black bear spotted in Greenhills near Cincinnati
According to Greenhills police, officers spotted the bear during a routine patrol early Monday morning on the Commons.
In the video posted to social media, officers used a spotlight to track the bear running through the park. According to police, its last known location was behind Our Lady of the Rosary Church on Farragut Road.
How many black bears are in Ohio?
A protected species in Ohio, black bears were considered gone from the state by the 1850s, per ODNR, due to deforestation and hunting by Ohio settlers.
However, more recently they have been spotted wandering through the Buckeye State as populations in Pennsylvania and West Virginia grow, according to the Ohio Black Bear Monitoring Report. And they are making a small comeback, with an estimated in-state population between 50 and 100.
How to protect your house, backyard from black bears
Black bears can cause significant damage while searching for an easy meal. Here’s how you can protect your backyard if one is in your area, per ODNR:
What to do if you see a black bear
Black bear attacks are rare; they are usually fearful of people. As long as they are given space and not cornered, bears do not seek to attack or kill children or pets. The bears are generally not aggressive and prefer to flee if they are aware of your presence.
So if you see a black bear, remain calm. If it hasn’t noticed you, back away slowly and leave the area. If it is aware of you, avoid direct eye contact and give it an easy escape route. Don’t run away or climb a tree, which may provoke a chase.
Spot a bear in the wild? The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife wants to know
Did you see a bear? The ODNR Division of Wildlife wants to know. Report sightings online at wildohio.gov or the Wildlife Species Sighting Report. You can also contact your local county wildlife officer or regional District Wildlife Office.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio is seeing more black bears. Here’s how to stay safe if you see one
Reporting by Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
