A black bear is exploring Illinois. State wildlife experts have been tracking it from Wisconsin to the Quad Cities where it crossed briefly over to Iowa, returned, and kept going south. Conservation Police Capt. Laura Petreikis says as more people are becoming aware of the bear, they have to be warned to leave it alone.
Petreikis says some photos show people within ten yards of the animal. Conservation Police recommend staying 100 yards or more away. Black bears tend to leave people alone, but if the animal feels harassed, it could attack someone. Another danger is the bear could become comfortable around people and decide to keep living among them.
Petreikis says the bear seems to want to keep going south. And it’s been traveling close to the Mississippi River. So, it’s not likely to show up in or near LaSalle County. There were numerous reports of a bear traveling through nearby counties in 2014.
Capt. Petreikis says more in this interview: