Wildlife Officials Take First Step To Encourage Bear Out Of Streetsboro

STREETSBORO, OH -  In an effort to reduce conflicts between humans and a local black bear, wildlife officials took action on Saturday with hopes that the bear will move on to more suitable habitat and become a bit more fearful of residential areas. 

Scott Peters, wildlife biologist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife in northeast Ohio, received a call from the Streetsboro Police Department early Saturday morning notifying him that the bear was in a dumpster. “This bear has not acted aggressively toward humans but has simply become a little too comfortable because of abundant food sources like garbage and bird feeders. I took advantage of the opportunity to teach the bear that highly residential areas are not a good place to be for Ohio’s largest mammal,” said Peters. “Bears are intelligent creatures and learn quickly. I used a well-known, non-lethal technique to scare it and hopefully encourage it to move on from the Streetsboro area.” Peters, with assistance from Streetsboro police officers, non-lethally shot the bear with rubber buck shot (small, rubber pellets) at about 15 yards. Peters explained that the pellets don’t hurt the bear permanently, but simply “sting pretty badly.” It’s Peters’ hope that the bear will relate the pain induced from the pellets to humans and will move on to a more rural area and feed on natural food sources. 

Black bears are considered an endangered species in Ohio and are protected by law. 

To report bear observation in northeast Ohio contact Wildlife District Three at 330-644-2293 or for more information go to www.wildohio.com

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