Black bear that has traveled 400 miles spotted in Whitewater

Whitewater residents spotted a 3-year-old black male bear from their porch Friday morning.

Phillip O’Kelly was running out to see the bear as it emerged from the wooded area near his Whitewater home, according to a Missouri Department of Conservation news release. He said the bear heard the commotion, turned around and then ran off. He observed the bear was wearing a collar and ear tag.

“He wasn’t aggressive; he was just looking around and he definitely wasn’t hurting anything,” O’Kelly said in the news release. “I hope people just let him be.”

Missouri Department of Conservation bear biologist Jeff Beringer said he has tracked this particular bear about 400 miles from Christian County, according to the release. The bear was tagged when it was 18 months old. Bollinger County Conservation agent Jeff Scott said it is normal behavior for male bears to travel 100 to 200 miles away from their families in search of territory and a mate. Scott said it is uncommon for a bear to travel 400 miles.

“Most don’t go near that far,” Scott said.

Scott said his office received multiple calls about the bear last week, according to the release. Scott is unsure the exact size of the bear but said 3-year-olds are considered young adults and normally weigh between 150 and 250 pounds. Scott said there are 300 to 400 bears in Missouri that all reside in the southern third of the state, from Springfield to Cape Girardeau.

Bear sightings are not uncommon in Southeast Missouri. Perryville and Perry County police shot and killed an adult black bear last June that traversed a large section of downtown in broad daylight and was deemed a significant risk to public safety.

The bear in Whitewater did not show any aggression, Department of Conservation spokeswoman Candice Davis said. Davis and Scott both caution residents to not feed bears and to be careful with trash in order to reduce any chances of bears and people interacting.

“A fed bear is a dead bear,” Beringer said in the release. “Bears are creatures of habit, so if they find they can get a free meal somewhere, they’re likely to stick around and that’s when they get into trouble.”

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

Whitewater, Mo.