Displaying items by tag: Ohio Department of Natural Resources

A black bear that has been seen wandering around Stark County the past few days has been seen again.

The bear was first spotted in Jackson Township Thursday afternoon, and reportedly popped up again later that night in North Canton.

North Canton police say the bear was spotted again eating bird seed from a backyard feeder in the 100 block of Far View Drive early Saturday morning.

Two wildlife officers from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources arrived on scene to track the bear's movements, but lost sight of it around 4:30 AM.

Late Thursday night, North Canton police say they received calls from residents saying they saw the bear in their yard near Arrowhead Golf Course.

North Canton Police Chief Stephen Wilder tells WAKR.net it's rare to see a bear in North Canton.

"We've had cougar sightings, we've had coyote sightings, and a few other animals...but in my years of working at the police department, over 30 some years, I haven't had a bear sighting", he says.

Chief Wilder says if anyone sees the bear, they should stay away from it, and just let it roam...and call law enforcement, who will contact wildlife officials.

"Since the bear's been non-aggressive, I'm under the understanding that it's still recommended that no intervention occur with the bear. We're trying to let it move its course wherever it going to go", he says.

The ODNR plans to try to get the bear to move east out of the county to a more favorable habitat.