AN ANIMAL WE HAVEN’T OFTEN SEEN IN IOWA FOR OVER A CENTURY MAY MAKE ITS WAY BACK HERE SOON IN GREATER NUMBERS.
WILDLIFE RESEARCH BIOLOGIST VINCE EVELSIZER OF THE IOWA D-N-R SAYS THE STRONG POPULATIONS OF BLACK BEARS IN MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN COULD RESULT IN A MIGRATION FURTHER SOUTH IN UPCOMING YEARS:
BEARS1 OC……..BIRD FEEDERS. :25
THERE HAVE BEEN 43 CONFIRMED BLACK BEARS IN IOWA SINCE 2002, WITH TWO TO FIVE PER YEAR SINCE 2014.
EVELSIZER SAYS THEY START SHOWING UP IN LATE SPRING AND INTO JULY WHEN THEY ARE MATING, AND THOSE SIGHTINGS ARE LIKELY TO INCREASE, MAINLY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE:.
BEARS2 OC……….DISTANT FUTURE” :16
BEARS WERE HUNTED TO EXTINCTION IN IOWA YEARS AGO.
THE BLACK BEAR POPULATION IN WISCONSIN IS NOW ESTIMATED AT CLOSE TO 30-THOUSAND, WHILE MINNESOTA HAS AROUND 15-THOUSAND, AND MISSOURI AROUND ONE-THOUSAND.
EVELSIZER SAYS THOSE STATES HAVE WORKED UP WAYS TO DEAL WITH THE ANIMALS:
BEARS3 OC………INTO OUR STATE (2X) :14
EVELSIZER SAYS YOU CAN SEND THE D-N-R INFORMATION IF YOU SPOT A BEAR.
HE SAYS AVOID CROWDING AROUND THE ANIMAL AND DON’T GET TOO CLOSE.
IF YOU ENCOUNTER A BEAR HE ADVISES YOU NOT TO RUN, BUT TO BACK AWAY SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY WHILE FACING IT AND MAKE NOISE SO THEY KNOW YOU’RE THERE.
RADIO IOWA
