CORYDON — On Monday morning, Abigail Suddarth logged into Facebook and saw a photo posted by one of her neighbors. After a double-take and coming to the realization it wasn’t next door, she learned there was still a black bear sighted not far from where she was walking just Sunday evening.
“I think it’s kind of cool that after all these years where we’ve gotten rid of that population, they’re around,” Suddarth, a 19-year-old from Corydon, said. “I hope we find a humane solution where it won’t get hurt, but it would be cool if they do come back to Indiana.”
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources issued a press release on Monday about the sighting, noting it’s the first reported and verified in more than 140 years. The animal was going through a resident’s garbage at about 9 p.m. on Sunday.
The release encourages residents to take precautions after the sighting, including keeping garbage in a garage or shed, cleaning grills after use and leaving meat and sweets out of the compost pile.
Taylor Rasmussen, the state non-game mammalogist with DNR, said as of Tuesday, they believe the bear is about six miles north of where it was seen in Corydon.
He said the bear may have crossed state lines to get here. But since the sighting, everyone in the department has worked on educating themselves so they can better educate the public.
“It’s been a very steep learning curve for all of us on this situation,” Rasmussen said. “I know that DNR did put a release out stating to reduce conflict, bring all those things in, remove your trash and bird feeders.
He said the animal was probably a juvenile male setting off on his own. He said they typically separate from their mothers to avoid conflict with other male bears, then move on to establish their own territory.
He said bear populations seem to be growing, so this sighting may not go as an isolated incident.
However, the press release from DNR says black bears are pretty shy and don’t come into contact with humans often.
Dana Pastor, 47, Floyds Knobs, was walking around the town square in Corydon on Tuesday with her son, Tanner, 16. She said since they live a good distance away from where the bear was seen, she’s not too worried about taking precautions, but it’s still fascinating to her.
“I never really thought about it coming here like this,” Pastor said. “You never know, you might see one crossing Paoli Pike.”
Jennifer Shaffer, 61, Ramsey, said she’s also fairly close to where the bear was seen. She said the sighting doesn’t give her that much anxiety, but she can’t help but think about her pets when they have to go outside.
“I have two cats and a dog that live outside, but I have an inside dog, too,” Shaffer said. “It makes me nervous, standing out in the dark to take my inside dog out.”
She said it’s interesting to think about bears living nearby, but she doesn’t think she wants them to take up residency.
“It’s just so different and unfamiliar around here,” Shaffer said. “I grew up in Tennessee, that’s where the bears are. We go to Gatlinburg to look for bears and never see them. Now, we don’t want to see them at home.”
Suddarth said she wouldn’t mind seeing bears finding a natural habitat nearby, but she also wants people to live safely near them. She said she has to look out for herself, too.
“First and foremost, I don’t want to get eaten by a bear,” Suddarth said.