Black bear sightings have been coming more frequently in areas surrounding the QC, and another sighting happened northeast of the area.
According to Rochelle Police, in Ogle County, a black bear was spotted running through a high school practice field around 5:30 a.m. Saturday, June 14, 2014. The bear headed northwest, away from the practice field.
A report by WRHL indicated that the bear also ran out in front of one of their news vehicles.
Police said the bear left town around 6 a.m.
WRHL reported that the bear had been previously spotted near I-88 between Rochelle and Creston.
On Wednesday, June 11, 2014 the bear was seen in DeKalb County, according to the Sheriff’s Office. A resident of Genoa, Illinois spotted the black bear near the intersection of Route 72 and Route 23 that morning; it was heading into a heavily wooded area.
That bear is believed to be the same one recently seen in Winnebago County.
Police are advising that people do not “encounter or get close to the bear” if they see it.
“It is advised to keep children and pets inside, and do not set out food for the bear,” police said.
If it’s the same bear spotted near Galena on May 24, and in other northern Illinois areas, it seems to like bird feeders.
“By removing easy sources of food for the bear, we can encourage it to stop searching for food near homes,” said Illinois DNR Director Marc Miller.
Several communities were alerted in May 2012 after multiple sightings of a black bear in northwestern Iowa in May 2012.