BELLEVILLE, Ill. — A black bear's recent light-hearted welcome into the Metro East could result in its future death, conservationists warned.
The bear, named "Dewey" by local Facebook accounts, was spotted in a tree in Columbia, roamed around Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, and even prompted a post from the Fairview Heights Police Department. It likely came from Missouri, since there are no recorded black bear populations established in Illinois.
"Missouri is bear country," Missouri Department of Conservation Statewide Furbearer Biologist Nate Bowersock told 5 On Your Side. "It's something that we're all still learning. We're seeing bears in more areas, and especially in the St. Louis area we're starting to see more regular activity."
Relaxed attitudes toward Dewey and other bears, however, could set reckless precedents and teach the animals possibly fatal habits.
When a bear learns it can easily get food in human communities, it may become aggressive and dangerous. When that happens, conservation agents rarely have another option other than killing it. Trapping and relocation was previously a widely-used practice to deal with bears who caused damage in human communities, but the practice ended in the early 2000s after research found the moved bears continue to cause problems after they're moved. Once bears see human communities as an easy food source, it's hard for them to quit.
"We have unfortunately had to remove [or euthanize] a few bears because they got too used to people foods," Bowersock said. "Got into too much garbage, got into bird feeders, or there's unfortunately some people that are intentionally feeding wildlife even though you're not supposed to ... The term 'A fed bear is a dead bear,' is a very real thing."
The fatal measure won't have to be taken if bears never find food in human communities, which is why Bowersock advocates for people to properly secure their trash and other foods outdoors whenever a bear is reported in their area.
MDC lists numerous ways people can prevent attracting bears to their property on its website, including:
- Never feed a bear, on purpose or accidentally.
- Odors attract bears. Keep a clean campsite and store all food and toiletries in a secure vehicle.
- Empty trash cans as often as possible and wash with a scented disinfectant to reduce the food odors. Use large trash bins that have metal, lockable lids outdoors and keep them locked at night.
- Don’t leave pet food sitting outside. Feed pets a portion they’ll eat at each meal and remove the empty containers.
- Keep grills and smokers clean and store them inside.
- Don’t use birdfeeders from April through November in bear country. If you must, hang them at least 10 feet high and 4 feet away from any structure.
- Use electric fencing to keep bears away from beehives, chicken coops, vegetable gardens, orchards, and other potential food sources.
Any bear sightings should be reported to MDC through their website. Click here to make a report.
