Five bear sightings have been reported around Jefferson County in the last 10 days, said Lexis Riter, a Missouri Department of Conservation agent.
In addition, it’s possible a bear got into a bird feeder at a sixth location in the county, she said.
“At 9:30 Tuesday night (June 12), there was a bear sighting near the Antonia firehouse (on Moss Hollow Road in Barnhart),” Riter said. “Today (June 14) around 9 a.m., we had a report of a bear possibly at a residence on Lonedell Road (in the Arnold area). They said they have a bird feeder on pipes and the pipes were bent. It’s possible it could have been a bear.”
She said the people who called in that report stated it would take a large animal to bend the pipes.
There previously had been four bear sightings in Jefferson County. One was on June 4 at the St. Francois County line, another on June 7 near Victoria Road west of Festus, one on June 10 in Herculaneum and the fourth one on June 11 in the Pevely area.
Riter said photos she has seen from those sightings indicate it is a cinnamon-colored black bear. She also said it’s possible all the sightings have been of the same bear.
Riter said she understands why people are alarmed about bear sightings, but she hopes they will leave the bear alone unless it threatens them, pets or livestock. She noted it is illegal to kill a bear in the state of Missouri unless it is attacking.
The Department of Conservation advises people to keep garbage, recyclables and compost inside a secure building or in a bear-proof container to prevent them from being a food source for bears, Riter said.
The Missouri Department of Conservation website (mdc.mo.gov) offers other advice concerning encounters with bears. The following are some of the tips:
■ Never corner a bear – make sure it has an escape route.
■ Back away slowly with your arms raised.
■ Speak in a calm, loud voice.
■ Do not turn your back on a bear.
■ Walk away slowly – do not run.
To report a bear sighting, call Riter at 314-696-9425 or Kyle Dunda at 314-954-5697.