Wildlife biologists with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish & Wildlife plan to trap and relocate the first confirmed wild bear found in Indiana in more than 100 years. It's a young male, and it has apparently made its home in Michigan City.
The trap was set the evening of July 15 at a confidential location.
Residents are being asked not to interfere in any way with trapping.
On the night of July 14, Indiana Conservation Officers responded to multiple bear sightings in the Motts Park area of the city. Several residents reported seeing a bear rifling through trash and bird feeders near their homes. The bear was also reported walking on porches and standing against patio doors.
According to a press release from the DNR, the bear has become habituated to the suburban area of Michigan City, where it been visiting sites repeatedly and having negative interactions with residents. The interactions have also been increasing, which potentially compromises the safety of both the residents and the bear. DNR biologists are working with the Michigan DNR to relocate the bear to rural Michigan, which unlike Indiana, has a sizable, established bear population.
According to the press release, black bears are shy by nature and tend to avoid human contact. Attacks are rare. Black bears are non-aggressive in most instances and prefer fleeing from humans when given the chance.
Until the bear is captured, DNR officials recommend residents take precautions to secure trash indoors. If the bear is encountered, a person should make lots of noise to discourage the bear from the area, and should not attempt to attract the bear with food.
The bear, a young male, appears to have first entered Indiana in St. Joseph County the week of June 12. A scat pile it left in a resident's driveway just north of South Bend was the evidence DNR needed to confirm the presence of a wild bear in Indiana for the first time since 1871.
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