As rare black bear sightings spark excitement in southern Illinois, IDNR says keep a safe distance
A black bear snacks on apples in rural Jackson County before heading northwest toward Gorham and the Mississippi River. (Photo provided by Ashley Shields)
Residents in the area should secure food and garbage, state says
By MOLLY PARKER
Capitol News Illinois
news@capitolnewsillinois.com
CARBONDALE – Amid this heated political season, residents in southern Illinois have found a unifying pastime: spotting black bears.
“I love the dichotomy right now on my FB (Facebook) feeds. On one hand, major political drama. On the other, this bear is just doing bear things, just wandering around SIL (southern Illinois),” wrote Jessica Bradshaw, a Carbondale resident, echoing the sentiment of many social media posts shared across the region this week in response to numerous black bear sightings.
Bear things apparently include squeezing in some tee time. Last Friday, Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion issued a warning to golfers and the public after a black bear was spotted in Williamson County heading toward the course. Then on Monday, Hickory Ridge Public Golf Course in Carbondale, in neighboring Jackson County, posted on Facebook that a black bear had been sighted between holes 4 and 6. Golfers posted photos of a black bear visiting the Jackson County Country Club near Murphysboro that same day.
While bear sightings in Illinois are rare, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said in a recent statement that established populations in neighboring Missouri and Wisconsin sometimes venture into Illinois during the summer.
And IDNR confirmed recent sightings in four southern Illinois counties – Saline, Pope, Williamson, and Jackson – but couldn't say it was one bear or multiple.
“IDNR biologists are monitoring the bear’s movement and appreciate receiving ongoing reports from the public of its whereabouts,” IDNR wildlife chief Mike Wefer said in the statement. “We’re also grateful to everyone who has followed our advice to leave the bear alone and enjoy the rare privilege of observing it from a safe distance.”
Despite not posing a significant threat to humans, IDNR stressed that black bears are wild animals. The agency recommended following BearWise Basics: securing food and garbage to avoid attracting bears' keen noses, removing bird feeders, and cleaning grills promptly after use. Interactions with bears should be avoided, and sightings should be reported to IDNR officials. If someone finds themselves face-to-face with a bear, they should stay calm and slowly move backward – never turn around and run.
Black bears once freely roamed Illinois. With nearly 280,000 acres of national forest, southern Illinois provides ample habitat. However, European settlers and unregulated hunting drove bears out by the late 1800s. Recognizing their occasional trips across state lines, Illinois lawmakers granted protected status to black bears in 2015: it's illegal to hunt, kill, or harass black bears, except when they pose imminent threats to people or property.
"We're all rooting for the bear to stay safe in Southern IL. Remember the pig that roamed all over Herrin a couple of years ago? Reminds me of that...," reminisced Tracy McSherry-McKown on Facebook, referring to the beloved roaming pig named Porkchop that made headlines in 2019 for its adventures around Williamson County.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.
Molly Parker
Molly joined Capitol News Illinois in July 2023. In 2022, Molly and Beth Hundsdorfer won the domestic print award in the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights journalism contest for a series of stories exposing patient abuse inside a state-run developmental center. Molly is also an assistant professor of journalism at Southern Illinois University and a distinguished fellow with ProPublica's Local Reporting Network.
Other posts by Molly Parker