Stop Bothering Black Bear Traveling State On Quest For Mate: IDNR

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Stop bothering the black bear that has been traversing northwest Illinois in recent weeks, state wildlife officials asked the public. Conservation police warned they may need to make arrests to ensure the safety of both the bear and the public after hundreds of people gathered to ogle and harass the bear last weekend as it traveled through northwest Henderson County.

Biologists and conservation police from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have been keeping a close eye on one or more black bears wandering between Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois for more than two weeks. The bear arrived in Illinois from Wisconsin on June 10 before crossing the border into Iowa and returning to Illinois via southern Rock Island County Thursday, according to a statement from the department.

"For the most part, we've not seen conflicts between the public and bear until recently and, unfortunately, those conflicts were caused entirely by people," Stefanie Fitzsimons, District Wildlife Biologist for the department, said in a statement.

Fitzsimons believes the bear is just passing through the state while looking for a mate and is unlikely to stay long because of a lack of habitat in Illinois.

"It's a novelty to see a bear in Illinois, and people want to see it for themselves, but they must remember that the outcome for this bear — whether IDNR must step in and take action to protect public safety — is completely dependent on how the public react to it," she added. "If the bear is left alone, it can continue its journey safely on its own."

Black bears were common in Illinois when European settlers arrived, according to IDNR, but they were wiped out by the mid-1880s. Some still live in Wisconsin and Missouri and occasionally pass through Iowa and Illinois.

Last week, Iowa wildlife officials said it was "unacceptable" that some people were coming within 30 feet of the 400-pound bear to take selfies with it and others were flying drones above it as it approached the Quad Cities, Radio Iowa reported. Hundreds of cars lined up along Highway 130 for a chance to spot the animal meandering through farmland. Conservation police described the scene as a "circus" and warned such behavior could lead to the bear being tranquilized.

“Unfortunately with social media, everybody that has seen the bear wants to photograph the bear, wants to take part with the bear,” Jeff Harrison, an Iowa Department of Natural Resources officer told the Associated Press. “What they would do is follow it, track it, stalk it.”

In Illinois, legislation protecting black bears passed in 2014 and took effect the following year. Bears are now protected by the Illinois Wildlife Code and may not be hunted, harassed or harmed unless there is an imminent threat to life or property.

Anyone who spots the bear was asked to contact local conservation police officers or law enforcement and to remain at least 100 yards away from the animal. More information is available from the website of the Be Bear Aware campaign.

"Certainly, the more pressure is put on the bear, the more likely we'll see an adverse outcome," Capt. Laura Petreikis of Illinois Conservation Police said in a statement Tuesday. "As is always the case, we want to ensure the safety of both people and animals. If we continue to see situations like we saw this past weekend, Conservation Police will issue tickets and make arrests to ensure the safety of both the public and the bear."