Bear seen in Illinois likely swam across Ohio River from Kentucky, wildlife official says

It was after a series black bear sightings in western Kentucky ended on July 5 that residents across southern Illinois began reporting seeing bears.

And that’s why a Kentucky wildlife official believes the bear seen in southern Illinois entered the state after swimming across the Ohio River from western Kentucky.

Also, since the bear went unseen for 48 hours, then showed up in Missouri on Wednesday, it’s likely it swam across the Mississippi River too, according to John Hast, the bear and elk program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

“I kind of always wonder what they’re thinking when they’re on the bank looking across, but it is something that they’re very capable of doing,” he said. “They’re very adept swimmers.”

The last confirmed black bear sighting in western Kentucky this summer was on July 5 in Livingston County, which is adjacent to Pope County in Illinois. The dividing line is the Ohio River.

Pope County is one of four counties in which there were confirmed black bear sightings, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Multiple bear sightings were reported as the bear continued moving west, including to Carrier Mills in Saline County on July 11, the Marion area in Williamson County on July 18-19, and in the Carbondale area in Jackson County on July 21-22.

Hast said it’s likely that the black bear seen in Brewer, Missouri, on Wednesday swam across the Mississippi River, just like it swam across the Ohio River to enter Illinois.

The bear apparently is a young male that has been booted out of its Kentucky home by its mother, Hast said. Summertime is when black bears are seen cruising the countryside away from established bear populations.

Both Kentucky and Missouri have had growing bear populations in recent years.

Kentucky has about 1,500 black bears, mostly in the mountainous counties in the southeast part of the state, Hast said. A hunting season was established in 2009.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has reported the state has about 900 bears in southern Missouri, and a hunting season began in 2021.

Hast said the “Ozark” bears from Missouri have previously traveled to Illinois and Kentucky. Now, the “Appalachian” bear from eastern Kentucky may find a home in Missouri, he said.

In 2021, black bear sightings were reported in Illinois in Monroe, Clinton, Washington and Franklin counties. The Illinois Department of Conservation Police said this apparently was the same bear that roamed in the four counties.

Last year, a bear was spotted in Randolph County. Illinois does not have an established population of black bears but officials believe the bears seen in southern Illinois have traveled from Missouri, according to Wildlife Illinois, a website authorized by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

“I tell people to kind of enjoy it if you’re lucky enough to see one,” Hast said. “Especially when you’re in western Kentucky or southern Illinois, man, that might be a once in a lifetime thing.”

Bear safety

The black bears seen in areas that don’t have established bear populations are not considered dangerous, Hast said.

“We’ve never had a single issue out of these bears that kind of roam out into the non-bear area,” Hast said. “They don’t want to be around people. Most of the pictures I get, they are hightailing it across the road or into the next woodlot.”

Hast said his main concern is if a bear becomes habituated to eating out of trash cans. That’s when bear encounters become too close to be safe.

Since Kentucky started its hunting season, there has been one person seriously injured on a leg by a black bear and that occurred in 2011 when the person got “much too close” to a bear, Hast said.

In the continental United States, there is an estimated 4 million black bears, Hast said.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources said black bears “should not necessarily be perceived as a threat to human safety,” according to a news release on Monday. “Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that bears are wild animals and should be treated as such.”

Bears can pick up food odors from more than a mile away and will return to sites where they find food. These sources include bird feeders, barbecue grills, garbage cans and dog food.

If a bear has been reported in your area, the Department of Natural Resources offered the following tips:

• Never feed or approach bears.

• Secure food, garbage, and recycling.

• Remove or limit use of bird feeders when bears are active.

• Avoid leaving pet food outdoors.

• Thoroughly clean and store grills and smokers after each use.

• Alert neighbors to bear activity.

If you see a bear, the Department of Natural Resources asks that you report the sighting online at the Wildlife Illinois website.