COLUMBUS, OH - Sixty-five black bear sightings were reported in29 Ohio counties last year, a decrease from the record 165 reported in 2002, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Of the 65 sightings, 18 were confirmed by division personnel. The confirmed sightings were in 15 counties and involved about 15 different black bears, the Division of Wildlife reports. In 2002, state wildlife officials confirmed 58 sightings.
Wildlife biologists cite two reasons for the decline, including the fact that a single bear can be the source of several sightings, as was the case in 2002, when one particular nuisance bear was spotted 35 times throughout the southern half of Ohio. And last year, a tremendous berry crop provided the bears with a nearby food source, giving them less reason to roam.
A majority of last year's sightings occurred from May through July, which coincided with the peak of black bear breeding. Most of the 29 counties with bear sightings were in northeastern and southeastern Ohio, with Geauga County leading the state with nine reported sightings. Ashtabula and Lake counties followed with five sightings each. Ashtabula and Trumbull counties each had a report of a sow with cubs. The ODNR Division of Wildlife began formally keeping records of black bear observations in 1993. In a 10-year period, bears have been confirmed present in 40 of Ohio's 88 counties.