Wildlife experts say a black bear discovered near downtown Mt. Pleasant on Tuesday, June 2, likely was searching for a mate, but the animal now is back in the forest where its odds are much better.
At about noon on Tuesday, a 150-pound male black bear was spotted in a tree at the intersection of Fancher and Mosher streets, just north of downtown Mt. Pleasant. DNR officials, Mt. Pleasant police and firefighters closed off streets to capture and remove the bear.
“Sometimes bears wander in and out of developed areas, but this one was so far inside the city limits that we thought it best to intervene and take the bear out of this situation in a safe manner,” Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Mark Boersen said in a June 3 press release. “Eventually, he would come down out of the tree, probably at night, but removal is the safest situation for people and their pets and the bear. Everything worked out well.”
Officials borrowed a pole vault mat from a local school and then tranquilized the bear, which fell about 18 feet into the mat.
Officials attached a red tag to his ear and transported him about 60 miles away to the Houghton Lake area, according to the release.
In the recent years, Michigan’s black bear population — the only species of bear in the state — has moved farther south into the Lower Peninsula for food or mates. Officials said the bear likely wandered into the city along the Chippewa River corridor.
“In a general sense, you may encounter a bear anywhere in the Lower Peninsula,” Boersen said. “Obviously they’re less likely as you go south. But people in the Lower Peninsula should not assume that they would never have a bear come in their yard.”
Black bear mating season begins in June and lasts through July in Michigan.
“Bears are actually getting into the breeding season now. So you could find a bear just about anywhere in the state,” Boersen said. “You don’t have to be in the backwoods. Just because you live in the city doesn’t mean you won’t encounter wildlife there.”
Here’s more on how to coexist with black bears and how to ward them away from you yard as mating season begins:
How can I bear-proof my backyard in Michigan?
Here are ways to bear-proof your property in Michigan, according to BearWise and the American Bear Association:
How should I react to a black bear enounter or sighting?
The National Park Service recommends maintaining at least 150 feet between you and any bear you encounter.
“If a bear alters its behavior in response to your presence, you are too close,” the NPS said.
Here’s what to do if you see a black bear based on varying contexts, according to BearWise:
Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: A black bear found its way into Mt. Pleasant. Now it has a new home
Reporting by Sarah Moore, USA TODAY NETWORK / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
