Outdoor Living: A Black Bear in Bristol

A bear in Elkhart county? Yes! In August a black bear was found dead north of Bristol near the toll road—this is the first reported bear in the local area since the 1800s. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources recovered the body. The body was sent for necropsy to understand more about its death. First looks showed injuries and fractured bones which align to a vehicle accident. This was the fifth black bear documented in the whole state of Indiana since 2015.

The black bear (Ursus americanus) is native to Indiana and was once common; however, it has been extirpated (no longer breeding in the area) from the state for over 140 years due to habitat loss and unregulated hunting. Black bears had not been seen in the wild in Indiana from 1871 until 2015 when a bear wandered into the northern part of the state and another into the southern part of the state. It appears bear populations are growing in both Michigan and Kentucky causing expansion of the bears’ current range.

Black bears are opportunistic and often eat what is seasonally available. While more common in other areas, like this picture from Grand Teton National Park, black bears had not been seen in Elkhart County since the 1800s. All Photos by Heather Reser in Grand Teton National Park and Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Black bears eat a variety of food, such as seeds, berries, grass, insects, carrion, and rodents. They are omnivores, opportunistically eating what they find during the seasons. They eat heavily in the fall preparing for a sleepy winter in their dens. Black bears are not true hibernators as their temperatures just drop slightly while sleeping and they stir from time to time during the winter. They enter their dens in December and typically emerge for the season in late March or April. Mothers give birth to one to four cubs in January. While black bears are usually solitary, mothers stay with their cubs for about 18 months after birth. These bears are good climbers and swimmers and can run 30 miles per hour.

Black bears are protected in Indiana. If a black bear happens to wander into Middlebury, do not feed the bear as issues arise when bears connect people with food. Move away from the bear quietly. If it approaches, let the bear know you are there with waving arms and shouting. Please report any wild bear sightings to the Indiana DNR.

To learn more about the American Black Bear in Indiana, visit: https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-andwildlife/files/fw-uw_factsheet_blackbear.pdf

Dr. Carla Gull blogs at www. insideoutsidemichiana.com and hosts the podcast Loose Parts Nature Play. She is often seen with four tag-along explorers in the greater Michiana area.