A bear that the Missouri Department of Conservation believes is traveling south in Jefferson County was seen in Barnhart.
Dan Glore, a retired Fox C-6 School District administrator, reported seeing a bear on Moss Hollow Road near the Public Water Supply District C-1 facility and the Antonia Fire Protection District’s House 2 off Hwy. M.
MDC spokesman Dan Zarlenga said the bear was first reported being seen on June 21 in west St. Louis County. The bear entered Jefferson County on Tuesday, being seen in the Fenton area and city of Arnold.
Zarlenga said the MDC believes the bear is about 2 years old, and it was likely kicked out of its den by its mother to make room for new cubs.
He said people should keep their distance from the bear, but they may take photos or videos of it from a safe distance.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A bear appears to be traveling south in Jefferson County, the Missouri Department of Conservation reported.
Dan Zarlenga, the agency’s St. Louis regional media specialist, said the MDC was notified today, June 25, that a bear was seen in the Fenton area and in Arnold. He said it is believed the bear was first seen in west St. Louis County on June 21.
“It seems to be moving toward the south from the reports,” he said. “Ultimately, it is a good thing. Because it means it is moving toward less populated areas, and that is probably best for everybody that it is doing that.”
Brad Cary of Unrivaled Realty posted pictures on Facebook of the bear in Arnold. He said he took the pictures at about 11 a.m. today.
Arnold Police Detective Lt. Jeremy Christopher said officers reported seeing the bear at about 11:40 a.m. today in the area of Lonedell Industrial Court and Lonedell Road near the Fox Chase apartment complex and the Meramec River.
In a Facebook post, Arnold Police reported the bear was seen in the 1300 block of Lonedell Road and was last seen traveling into a wooded area near the Meramec River. Missouri Conservation is aware of the sighting, and its advice is to leave the bear alone. The agency also advised people to keep a close eye on pets and kids and don’t pet or feed the bear.
Zarlenga said the MDC believes the bear is about 2 years old.
“It is not a cub or baby bear,” he said. “It is a young adult that has been probably kicked out of the den by the mother. After two years or so, mothers kick them out of the den so they can make room for the younger ones coming up behind them. At that point, they are out exploring on their own and trying to find their way in the world.”
Zarlenga said the only species of bear in Missouri is the American black bear. He said this bear appears to be a black bear, adding that black bears can appear to have brown or cinnamon-colored fur.
He said the bear initially was seen in Chesterfield before being reported walking through Ballwin, Ellisville and Wildwood over the weekend. On June 23 and June 24, the MDC received reports of the bear in Sunset Hills and around Gravois Road and I-270.
“It does seem to be moving south,” he said. “That is a common thing. Obviously toward the east and a lot of places north, it is more densely populated. It is probably trying to get away from people population as much as possible.”
Zarlenga said people should keep their distance from the bear, but they may safely take pictures or video from a distance.
He said if you were to accidentally encounter the bear at close range, the best thing to do is stop, look at the bear and speak to it in a firm voice.
He said it’s also a good idea to put your hands up high to make yourself look larger and then calmly back away.
“I emphasize back away, do not turn and run,” he said. “Do not make the bear feel cornered or threatened.”
Zarlenga said people should make sure their trash is in airtight containers or inside a structure, such as a garage, if possible. Pet owners should not leave pet food outside.
He suggested fully cleaning any grill or putting the grill inside and taking down bird feeders.
Zarlenga said for more information about bears or to report a bear sighting, visit mdc.mo.gov.
