Another bear sighting in southern IL, this one about two hours southeast of Belleville
READ MORE
Bear sightings in the metro-east and southern IL in 2021
Today it is a report of another big cat. This spring and summer, it was all about black bears visiting our region
Expand All
Another black bear sighting reported in southwestern Illinois. Here’s the latest
Another bear sighting in southern IL, this one about two hours southeast of Belleville
What’s the visiting bear up to in this sweltering southwest IL heat? The latest update
What’s the latest on bear sightings in southwestern Illinois? Here’s what we know
The black bear sighted around the region this month may be trekking east.
A bear was reportedly spotted Monday in White County, which is about two hours southeast of Belleville. WSIL-TV reported Tuesday that a resident posted photos of a bear in her back yard three miles north of Carmi.
There’s no confirmation that it’s the same bear initially spotted in Monroe County on June 10, then Clinton County on June 12, then Washington County on June 15 and then Franklin County on Friday.
However, Illinois Conservation Police Officer Don Schachner said late Tuesday afternoon he wouldn’t be surprised if it is the same bear.
“That’s probably not too far of a stretch that it could be the same one. They can cover some ground. It doesn’t sound like it’s out of the realm of the possibility that it’s the same one from a distance perspective,” Schachner said.
A black bear, believed to be a young male, was last seen Friday in Franklin County near Rend Lake. A representative from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department said Monday the last time they heard anything — she thinks a couple days ago — the bear was heading east.
“There have been no other sightings in the surrounding counties. The last time we heard anything was it was heading east to Hamilton County,” the representative said.
A representative from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department said Monday, “To my knowledge we have had no reports of any sightings. We’re a pretty small department, so if we had anything, I’d have heard about it.
Kyle Bacon, chief deputy for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department Kyle Bacon said Monday: “Around midday Thursday, we received a report of the bear walking on the roadway on the west side of Rend Lake. Friday afternoon, the bear was reported on the south end of Rend Lake, but this time on the east side.
“There was another sighting in that same area that same evening. To my knowledge there have not been any other reports on its location. We’re really not for sure where it’s at. The last known location I got was Friday evening.”
This story was originally published June 22, 2021 at 5:26 PM.