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Young bear captured from Ozark neighborhood – Springfield Daily Citizen
Jun
Springfield Daily Citizen
Springfield, MO News
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This week, some residents of Christian County observed a more unusual form of wildlife than what is common to the streets of Nixa or Ozark. A juvenile black bear wandered around residential areas in the county for several days before being caught on Thursday, June 19, and released in a wooded area.
Josh Wisdom, a wildlife damage biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), said the population of black bears is expanding nationwide. Missouri currently has a population of around 1,000 of the species. MDC expects that population will double every 10 years.
“The reason why is, we really just don’t have a lot of limiting factors right now,” Wisdom explained. “We have a lot of resources. We have a lot of space. The bears are going to continue and fill in that space.”
Every summer, MDC receives calls about bear sightings in southwest Missouri neighborhoods.
The bear that acquainted itself with Christian County residents this week was a male, around 1-and-a-half or 2 years old. Wisdom said that it could be considered a “teenage bear.”
Savannah White and Anton Stocks, owners of the Studio 65 tattoo parlor in Ozark, paused during their work day on June 19. A passersby told them a bear was wandering near Highway 65.
“I saw there were a bunch of people pulled over on the highway,” Stocks said. “I was actually shocked to see a bear.”
White was also surprised by the sight. She added, “I was scared it was going to be hit on the highway.”
A bear typically leaves its mother’s den in the summertime around its second year of life. It is not unusual for juveniles to wander into residential areas, towns or major roads.
“They’re brand-new to the world. They’re seeing things for the first time on their own and they’re just trying to figure it out,” Wisdom said.
Christian County Emergency Services stated that they received 16 calls about the bear in Nixa and Ozark between June 16 and June 19. The first call came from Robert Street in Nixa at 9:30 p.m. on June 16. That evening, the Nixa Police Department notified MDC that the animal was in a tree.
Wisdom said MDC tased the bear on June 16 and attempted to encourage it to leave town on its own. MDC does not haul bears out of residential areas as a first resort. However, throughout the following days, it continued ambling around neighborhoods. Nixa police took to Facebook to remind residents not to feed the animal if they encountered it.
The final call Christian County Emergency Services received about the bear was at 4:54 p.m. on June 19 from Riverbluff Drive in Ozark. Wisdom was on the scene earlier in the afternoon. He said MDC shot the animal with a chemical immobilization drug, hauled it away from the neighborhood and released it in a wooded area in Christian County.
Although it may be surprising to spot a bear in a residential area, Wisdom said that these sightings are not necessarily emergencies.
“(Bears) are part of our landscape now, and again, the fact that a bear is in a tree or even the fact that a bear is being seen by people is not an emergency. It is not a cause for alarm,” he said.
Missourians can report bear sightings on MDC’s website.
Zoe McIntyre was born and raised in the Springfield area. She covers Springfield’s surrounding communities, like Nixa, Ozark and Republic. While a student at Evangel University, she enjoyed working on staff at the school’s radio station and newspaper, where she served as editor in chief for one year. When she isn’t persuading her friends to read more news, she enjoys cooking and thrifting. More by Zoe McIntyre
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