Black bears have been spotted in Southeast Kansas in recent years and most recently in southern Crawford County.
Crawford County Sheriff Dan Peak announced this week that the public recently turned in multiple sightings of a black bear in the county. He reported that black bears have been seen in neighboring counties as well.
Peak said the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism indicates these sightings are likely to increase. He said his office will respond to sightings but will not take action unless the bear poses a serious threat to public safety or property.
Matt Peek, a surveyor biologist with KDWPT in Emporia, said black bears were seen near Weir in June 2015, but he wasn’t aware of the more recent sightings. The KDWPT identified a juvenile bear as one seen in 2015 in Weir and near Galena in Cherokee County.
He thinks the recent sightings could be a juvenile bear as well, likely a male, that is age 1 or 2. These bears are smaller, 150 to 200 pounds, and spring is when they extend their food foraging territory. “If bears become more common in Kansas, people have to be a lot more careful about where they’re leaving trash and food, potential food sources.”
(Read more: Parsons Sun)