MICHIGAN CITY — The city's infamous black bear paid a visit to Councilman Chris Schwanke's home Friday night.
Chris and his family live on Meer Road on the city's east side near Motts Park — the area of the city the bear has been frequenting since he was first sighted earlier this month.
At about 11:45 p.m. Friday, Chris said he received a call from his neighbor, saying she saw the bear knock over a bird feeder in her yard. The bear then made his way to Schwanke's yard, all the way up to his patio door.
Chris and his wife, Theresa, both agree that the bear did not seem aggressive, but they still kept their distance. They said the bear leisurely crawled onto their porch and wandered around. At one point he sat on his hind legs and put his front paws on the glass patio door, but the Schwankes said it did not seem to be a threatening pose — more curiosity at his own reflection in the glass.
Although she was initially amazed at finally seeing the much-talked-about black bear, Theresa said she was also a bit scared having a bear on her porch.
"It was a glass door," she said. "I knew it wouldn't stop him if he wanted in."
The bear stayed on their property for about 10 to 15 minutes before it was scared away by the Schwankes' dogs.
"I was trying to make sure he didn't do something aggressive, but he didn't," Chris said. "I could have done something to startle him, but the dogs did, so I didn't have to."
Concerned for their children and pets, the Schwankes contacted the Michigan City Police Department and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to report the bear.
While some residents think the bear is scavenging for food when it approaches their home, Chris said he thinks the bear was simply doing what bears do. He said bears used to be hunted in Indiana, and according to a news release sent earlier this week by the DNR, there has not been a wild bear in Indiana since 1871.
"Bears are common in other parts of the country, just not in Indiana," Chris said. "A bear coming up onto your porch is something you might see in the (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan. We didn't feed it or encourage it and we didn't have anything outside. I think he was just wandering."
Chris said he knew the bear had been in the area recently. One neighbor reported their bird feeder was knocked over on Monday, and a scat pile was found on Tuesday.
The DNR has confirmed this black bear is a young male who made its way to Michigan City after first being reportedly seen in St. Joseph County. The DNR has set up a trap at an undisclosed location, hoping to capture the bear and relocate it to rural Michigan which currently has a bear population.