Black bears haven’t lived in Indiana since the late 1800s, but earlier this week, one was found just north of Bristol in Elkhart County.
While black bears historically lived throughout the state, the closest population to northern Indiana is now in the upper part of Michigan’s lower peninsula.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources mammalogist Brad Westrich said seeing a bear south of Grand Rapids is rare, but some young males will roam further in search of food and other resources.
“They’re getting away from established bear populations where they don’t have to compete with larger males,” he said. “When nature calls them back –– whether it’s hormones calling them back to find a mate or otherwise –– they usually end up back in a bear population sooner or later.”
Westrich said the bear found in Elkhart County likely roamed down from Michigan and was possibly hit by a car. He said it was found near the toll road in a state of advanced decomposition, and has been transported to the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Purdue for a necropsy.
Westrich said radiology analysis will help DNR officials determine the cause of death, and hair and tissue samples will help confirm the bear’s origin.
“We’re hoping that if enough markers line up with the bear population in Michigan –– whether the lower peninsula or the upper peninsula –– we can definitively say, ‘It came from here,’” he said. “If the DNA comes back and those markers don’t line up, we’re kind of left in the dark.”
This is northern Indiana’s second black bear since 2015, when a bear from the Michigan population roamed into the Michigan City area. Westrich says the sightings will likely become more common in the future.
“With growing bear populations in states neighboring Indiana, it’s only a matter of time before we start seeing more of these wandering males come into the state,” he said.
Since black bears are native to Indiana, Westrich said they wouldn’t adversely affect the native flora and fauna. He said it would mostly be humans that have to adjust to the bears’ renewed presence in the area.
“Each [bear] that we have is really good practice for Hoosiers to sort of get used to how to secure their food sources or other attractants so that we can coexist peacefully with bears,” he said.
Westrich said the DNR’s investigation of the bear is ongoing, and they’re awaiting the results of the necropsy.
Contact Gemma at gdicarlo@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @gemma_dicarlo.
If you appreciate this kind of journalism on your local NPR station, please support it by donatinghere.
