RICHLAND COUNTY, Ohio — The body of a black bear was discovered in early June in Fairfield County, which is roughly 70 miles south of Richland County; that raised the question–should people be concerned about encountering a bear in Richland County?
According to Stephanie Leis, Ohio Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman, “No. Most bears in Ohio are 1.5-year-old males that have recently left their mothers, in search of a new territory.”
Leis said there were two unverified bear sightings in Richland County last year.
Though once native to Ohio, data on the ODNR Division of Wildlife website shows that from 1993-2013, there were only 11-50 black bear sightings in Richland County and 1-10 were “confirmed” sightings. That differs from Ashtabula County, where there were 101-150 confirmed sightings during that same time period.
Leis said that throughout the state, there were 135 (verified and unverified) sightings in 2014, noting there could have been multiple reports on the same bear. This was down from previous years. There were 158 sightings in 2013 and 224 in 2012.
Sightings were reported in 43 counties; most counties were in northeast Ohio.
“Most of the bears are coming from West Virginia or Pennsylvania looking for new territory; however, we have had a few come down from Michigan. Generally these young males don’t find areas with females, so they usually leave Ohio and don’t settle here,” Leis said.
She said that black bears are the only species of bear found in the state.
The ODNR website says that in the 1850s, “Black bears were considered extirpated from Ohio.” Today, black bears are on the state’s endangered species list. According to ODNR, endangered means, “a native species or subspecies threatened with extirpation from the state.”
“Ohio’s bear population is estimated to be anywhere from 50-100 individual bears,” the website states. It also notes, “The majority of bears in Ohio weigh between 125-250 pounds, and are juvenile male bears. Dispersing young black bears will often travel great distances in search of new habitat and are most likely to be seen by or interact with humans. These bears are extremely agile and are able to run up to 35 mph, climb trees with ease and swim long distances.”
According to ODNR, black bears are usually fearful of people, so bear attacks are a rarity. However, if one happens to encounter a bear, Leis advised to be “AWARE.”
- Act calm and do not run.
- Warn the bear that you are near; talk in a firm, calm voice.
- Allow space between you and the bear. Step aside and back slowly away. Do not make the bear feel trapped or threatened.
- Raise your hands above your head to appear larger if the bear approaches. Clap your hands or shout to scare the bear away.
- Exit the area,
To report a sighting, contact a wildlife officer.
