Black bears have been spotted in Clark County and parts of Greene County over the last couple of weeks.
While seemingly intimidating, experts say these sightings are the beginning of a resurgence for this species in the Heartland.
Why so special?
On social media, residents have reported black bear sightings in New Carlisle, Yellow Springs, Bethel Township and more. Yet, it’s not so common to see them in the Miami Valley. Black bears are more common in southeast and northeast Ohio.
Black bear sightings with photos can be reported online at wildohio.gov.
University of Dayton biology professor Mariela Gantchoff believes that these sightings in the Miami Valley may be the same black bear. A two-year old male bear to be exact. Gantchoff’s research lab works with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to track the recolonization of black bears, so she understands the animal’s behavior.
Males are known to travel long distances in search of a mate, so they tend to go far from their mother and sisters to avoid inbreeding, she said.
“They're just looking for a good place to settle down and they can go a real long way trying to find something,” she said. “...I'm assuming his mom is somewhere in southern Ohio, or northern Kentucky, because it's been going from south to north.”
Black bears are endangered – at least in Ohio
The population was pretty quiet in the state until 1993, when nine were spotted. Black bears have been on Ohio’s endangered species list since 1995, meaning they were rarely identified in Ohio. That’s because they disappeared from the state in the mid-1800s, Gantchoff said.
“Ohio was excellent habitat. And (black bears had) a pretty stable population. And then after European colonization, Ohio had huge amounts of deforestation and unregulated hunting,” Gantchoff said.
Being placed on the state endangered species list means that individuals can incur steep penalties for hunting or killing a listed animal, which supports its population rebound. It was also possible in part due to migration of bears from neighboring states such as West Virginia and Pennsylvania. By 2024, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, there were 210 confirmed black bear sightings.
Female sightings often indicate a more consistent residence because they don’t travel. Even so, male black bear sightings can be a good sign too, she said. Even though they can’t track its every move, it can still be useful for their analysis.
“Particularly we want to see how easy it is for bears to move through the landscape in Ohio, so which areas are easier for them to move through, which areas might (pose) barriers to movement,” Gantchoff said. “So having this documented kind of long distance dispersal through human areas is actually interesting and we can definitely use it in the future."
Since the Dayton region isn’t a good place to live with its urbanization, the bear will likely move on, Gantchoff said.
How to stay safe around bears
If you do see one, they aren’t an aggressive species, said Lindsey Krusling, communications specialist with ODNR.
“They prefer to run away from conflict or run away from interactions with people,” Krusling said.
That doesn’t mean they’re safe to approach. Krusling has some advice for what to do if one is too close for comfort. That includes remaining calm and not running away.
“Back away and give the bear space. You can warn the bear that you are near, so talk in a firm, calm voice, either step aside or back away slowly to not make the bear feel trapped or threatened,” Krusling said.
There are also ways to decrease the chances of black bears being found in your backyards, said Krusling, including:
- remove bird feeders or any other wildlife feed temporarily
- store garbage either in a garage or a secure container
- keep pet food inside, especially at night
- clean out grease from outdoor grills
- pick any fruit or berry bushes as often as possible
Black bear sightings with photos can be reported online to wildohio.gov.
