Recent black bear sightings have been reported in the St. Louis area and southern Illinois, signaling an increasing bear population in the region.
Last week, many reports were made of a black bear traveling through O’Fallon, Missouri, Lake St. Louis and other areas in St. Charles County.
The bear population in Missouri has increased significantly in recent years, and the bears are expanding from their “core range” south of Interstate 44 into other areas of Missouri, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. That increased bear population is making its way into southern Illinois, where before 2021, there had only been a few sightings.
In 2021, Missouri implemented a highly regulated black bear hunting season for two weeks of October every year. Patrice Pyatt, the Wildlife Damage Biologist for the department, said the season is important to control the population. Not many bears have been killed so far, but as the population grows, so will the permitted number of bears to be hunted.
Pyatt said bears are native to Missouri, and people should expect to see them in urban areas more often as their population increases.
“Missouri is bear country,” Pyatt said. “This is their natural territory, they are native here. So anyone could see a bear when they’re out and about.”
She estimates that there are currently about 900 to 1,000 black bears in the state. This is up from about 300 in 2010.
However, Pyatt said the reports of the bear in the St. Louis area have begun to drop off, meaning it has likely traveled out of the populated area.
In Illinois, seeing bears used to be a rarity. But Don Schachner, a conservation police officer in Monroe County, said there have been bear sightings in his area three out of the past four years.
These bears are covering long distances – Schachner said he once tracked a black bear that traveled 27 miles in two days.
“They don’t lollygag,” Schachner said. “They are covering serious ground.”
Schachner and Pyatt both stressed that black bears are typically timid animals that are not looking to interact with humans.
“It’s just important to give it space, and it’s probably most of the time not going to bother anyone,” Pyatt said.
When bears do enter human spaces, they are typically looking for food and shelter. Male bears are usually the ones that are seen by humans because they tend to travel more.
“They’re looking for new territory, they’re looking for food, they’re looking for females,” Schachner said.
Pyatt said if someone encounters a bear in public, give the bear some space. Making a loud noise, like clapping, could get it to go away. Dogs should also be kept on a leash in case of a bear encounter.
To prevent bears from arriving in the first place, Pyatt said residents should put away attractants like bird feeders, garbage, recently used grills or coolers full of food.
Schachner added that residents should warn their neighbors if they see a bear.
