Another bear sighting reported in the region; Officials share where it may be going
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Over a week, News Center 7 has received reports of sightings in Clark, Montgomery, Champaign, and Greene counties.
TRENDING STORIES:
27-year-old woman dead after trying to pass 2 semis, causing crash in Darke County
Local roadway closed for emergency repairs after flash flooding
23-year-old killed in shooting at Springfield party; Police seeking community help in investigation
As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division Manager Brett Beatty explains why we're seeing an increase.
'We've seen a pretty steady increase of black bears in the state. I think my last numbers that have been all documented was from 2022, where we had about 280 sightings,' Beatty says.
There is a reason why more black bear sightings are being reported now compared to two decades ago.
'The technology, everybody having a phone in their pocket and the ring cameras,' Beatty says. 'So without those ring cameras, that bear probably would have passed right through there, and folks wouldn't have known he was there.'
He says he's tracked this bear across multiple counties in the region.
The bear was most recently spotted in Greene County Sunday evening.
'He's traveling, looking for other bears, good territory, and heading in the direction he was, he wasn't running into anybody else as far as bears. Right. So it makes sense for him to kind of backtrack and head back from where he started,' Beatty says.
Bears can travel up to 40 miles a day and are likely looking for a mate or a new place to call home over the summer, Beaty added.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lynx rescued from Highlands given names at their new home
A trio of lynx who were illegally released into the Scottish Highlands earlier this year have been named, following a competition involving school children and charity donors. Caledonia, Cardrona and Bluebell have settled in at the Highland Wildlife Park, a few miles from where they were first discovered in the Cairngorms National Park. The wild cats were rescued in freezing overnight temperatures by experts from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) in January. A fourth juvenile lynx was found abandoned but died after being rescued. The unplanned release of the animals was condemned by welfare groups and prompted a police investigation, though so far no arrests have been made. Schools in Scotland were invited to take part in the competition, submitting projects on the value of nature, with the winners being Kinlochleven Primary School's P3-4 class – who chose the name Bluebell. Caledonia was named by the winner of a prize draw which raised more than £7,600 for RZSS, while Cardrona was named by the Weir Charitable Trust, who made a generous donation. Judith Bowman, carnivore team leader at Highland Wildlife Park, said: 'It has been wonderful to care for the three girls here at the park over the past month. We are already seeing their playful and curious personalities flourish. 'Thank you to Kinlochleven Primary P3-4, who chose Bluebell's name, and submitted an amazing competition entry on their commitment to protecting nature. 'Caledonia was named by our prize draw winner and Cardrona by the Weir Charitable Trust. Without support from kind people like this our wildlife conservation charity wouldn't be able to continue its vital work.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
LeBrun honors Clyde Willis; building dedicated to his accomplishments
As most people closed the month of June with business as usual, Scioto County Engineer Darren Lebrun accomplished a task he said may seem small to some but was very important and meaningful to him. That task was honoring former Scioto County Engineer Clyde Willis. LeBrun has been productive as a county engineer, being aggressive in grant writing and planning; his work keeps infrastructure development ongoing and busy in summer months while keeping maintenance of winter conditions effective during cold months. Recently, however, he worked on a side project that dedicated a Scioto County building in the name of someone who did all this before him. 'On June 24, we dedicated our garage, and named it after, Clyde Willis. He was a previous Scioto County Engineer from 1991 to 2008,' LeBrun explained. 'One of the reasons we did this was because Clyde was a transformational engineer. He got our in-house crews way more productive than what they used to be, as far as doing elements of work in-house on our own.' The respect LeBrun has for the former engineer is obvious when he speaks about him. He quickly has facts and details of the man's accomplishments committed to memory, as if he were reading from a long, impressive resume. 'The chipseal program was moved in-house under Clyde. He started the precast bridge program, where we built concrete bridge beams and building bridges by county crews. He started building trucks, as far as getting a truck ready for work,' LeBrun recalled. 'We would get a flatbed, or something like that and turn it into a dump truck at a fraction of the cost of what it would cost the county to buy a brand-new dump truck.' LeBrun continued listing off accomplishment after accomplishment, some of which may seem small to some people, but make a major difference in his work today. 'He started the outpost program,' LeBrun said. 'We have outposts in Nile, Minford and Wheelersburg. Clyde set up these outposts for us to store materials, like salt and gravel, and we don't have near the travel distance from where it is being applied and saves a lot of time and resources.' Some of the work Clyde accomplished also served property owners more directly and provided help to other departments in Scioto. 'He created our digital tax maps, as far when you go online today and view GIS, those property lines you see used to be on paper. Clyde worked with the Commissioners back in the 90's to make that all electronic with aerial photos for people to see where their properties extend and who is next to them,' LeBrun recalled. 'That was a big deal for the county, because those paper maps are just woefully behind as far as details. It really straightened up a big problem the county had at the time.' According to LeBrun, at the time of speaking with the Daily Times, he didn't have grant totals for Willis's tenure, but it was substantial as another engineer who is aggressive in seeking extra dollars to subsidize county budgets. However, Lebrun did mention that Willis was able to replace 134 bridges and 194 large concrete culverts. 'His accomplishments were big and, as such a transformational engineer, he deserved the recognition of having his name on the building,' LeBrun stated. 'He actually had the building that is now named after him built back in 2004. This is similar to what they do at the state fair, where they name buildings after former Governors. I thought it was fitting to have this building named after him.' LeBrun officially named the building, with support of the Scioto County Commissioners, after Willis. He also erected a sign that outlines many of the former engineer's accomplishments while in office. To celebrate, his office had a dedication ceremony. 'We had a small, closed ceremony. We had engineering staff, Clyde, friends and family,' LeBrun said. 'Several of the guys we have today are here because Clyde hired them back in the day. It was great. You could tell Clyde appreciated it. It kind of took some of us back to the days when we worked for Clyde. I worked with him back in the late 90's. It brought back a lot of memories as we celebrated everything he has done for the county. He is a good example to follow as far as following priorities and growing opportunities for Scioto County. A lot of the programs we do today are programs he started or at least laid the foundation. He is deserving.'
Forbes
12 hours ago
- Forbes
CITES Proposals Aim To Stop Shark Extinction Spiral
A view of oceanic whitetip reef shark, who faces danger of extinction due to climate change and ... More human pollution. Over 70 species of sharks and rays may soon receive their strongest lifeline yet. One June 30, 2025, governments around the world formally proposed urgent protections under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora for some of the most threatened marine animals on the planet, including whale sharks, oceanic whitetips, manta rays and wedgefish. These CITES proposals reflect what scientists have warned for years: for certain sharks and rays, sustainable trade simply isn't possible due to their slow reproduction, long lifespans and vulnerability to overfishing. The only viable path forward is to stop international commercial trade entirely and shift focus to protecting these species in the wild, where they offer far more value to local economies alive than they do as just merely a sum of their parts (i.e. fins, gills or meat). The proposed listings, which will be debated at CITES' 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP20) in Uzbekistan this upcoming November, recommend moving species like the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), manta and devil rays, and oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus) to Appendix I. This category provides the highest level of protection under international law, effectively banning commercial international trade. Other species, like the Critically Endangered wedgefish and guitarfish rays, would receive temporary commercial bans through a 'zero quota' listing, an approach that acts similarly to Appendix I by closing off legal trade routes. Sharks and rays play vital roles in ocean ecosystems, but they're increasingly being pushed to the edge. More than 37% of all shark and ray species are threatened with extinction. That number jumps to over 70% for species commonly involved in international trade. Oceanic whitetips, for example, were once among the most abundant open-ocean sharks. Now, their populations have crashed by over 90%, with an equally staggering percentage of their fins in trade likely coming from illegal sources. Whale sharks, despite some national protections, still face ship strikes, habitat loss, and illegal harvest, with their global numbers cut in half. For wedgefish and giant guitarfish, the situation is even more severe, with their fins fetching the highest prices in shark fin markets; their families are considered the most threatened among all sharks and rays. Even manta and devil rays, rightfully dubbed the 'gentle giants of the sea,' are not safe. With females birthing just one pup every two to three years, these rays cannot keep pace with commercial demand. Some populations have declined by over 90%, and illegal trade continues despite existing protections. Listing them under Appendix I is seen as the most effective way to ensure all of them survive. But it's not just about fins and gills for these individuals. Two additional proposals seek to list species on Appendix II, which regulates trade rather than bans it, to make sure it's sustainable. One focuses on gulper sharks, a deepwater species now being fished for their liver oil, used in high-end cosmetics. Like other shark species, gulpers grow slowly and reproduce even slower, making them highly vulnerable to overexploitation. A second proposal targets smoothound sharks, small coastal species prized for their meat in dishes like fish and chips in Australia and ceviche across Latin America. These sharks are increasingly overfished, and several species in this group are already classified as Endangered. Regulation under CITES Appendix II would require documentation proving that international trade is legal and not detrimental to wild populations. Even manta and devil rays, often seen as gentle giants of the sea, are not safe. With females ... More birthing just one pup every two to three years, these rays cannot keep pace with commercial demand. Altogether, there are seven proposals representing over 70 species that have been submitted, backed by more than 50 governments (including Panama, Ecuador, Brazil, Senegal, Benin, the European Union and the United Kingdom). Could this be a sign that the world is finally recognizing that the unchecked trade in sharks and rays cannot continue without severe ecological consequences? Conservationists hope so. CITES has long served as a critical backstop for wildlife, from elephants and tigers to sea turtles and whales. The case for sharks and rays is no different. Their slow life histories and key ecological roles make them just as deserving of the highest level of international protection. And unlike extractive industries that rely on killing these animals, tourism based on live sharks and rays — like whale shark diving — offers sustainable, long-term economic benefits to coastal communities. 'We must act now to prevent irreversible losses. Recent studies in the world's shark and ray trade hubs reveal that CITES-listed sharks and rays are still entering trade in alarming numbers – stronger action is clearly justified,' said Luke Warwick, Director of Shark and Ray Conservation for the Wildlife Conservation Society. 'These scientifically justified proposals meet all CITES criteria. They offer a chance to act before it's too late; before we lose these species and the benefits they can bring to coastal communities globally.' The stakes are clear. If these proposals are adopted in November, they could represent a major turning point for marine conservation. If not, we risk watching these species vanish within our lifetimes, taking with them not just the balance of our oceans… but also the livelihoods, traditions and futures of countless communities around the globe.
