Black Bears Spotted in Illinois and Missouri Suburbs

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Black bears are being spotted across the St. Louis metro area on BOTH sides of the Mississippi River. What's bringing these rare visitors to town?

[{"selector":"#anim-79e82ab6-955a-4f05-a440-b3b0370cec5b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ca4e6c9d-5e66-4e90-b0c0-26dc63fa3651","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.50632%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-98c7bdc4-4c46-4b19-b1a3-cccfe50c7e1d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b6554f53-39c5-426e-952f-f5f3609a8795","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7ebb1de4-eb2b-45e0-82ca-9c14d7d91f26","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Shiv's fotografia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

A bear damaged bee hives in St. Clair County, Illinois, after being spotted multiple times in May 2025. Wildlife officials are now tracking its movements.

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Another bear was seen near a Walmart in Lake St. Louis and a Taco Bell in Grandview, Missouri, causing local police to issue warnings to residents.

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Bears were completely wiped out in Illinois by 1870 but have been legally protected since 2015. These visitors are traveling from growing populations in Missouri and Wisconsin.

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Young male bears typically leave home in late spring looking for new territory, which explains why they're suddenly appearing in unusual places.

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Bears can smell food from over a MILE away, making your trash cans, bird feeders, and BBQ grills irresistible magnets for hungry visitors.

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A fed bear is a dead bear" warns Missouri wildlife expert Nate Bowersock. Bears that get used to human food often become dangerous and end up being euthanized.

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What should you do if you spot a bear in your neighborhood? Never approach it and back away slowly if you encounter one unexpectedly.

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If a bear approaches you, make yourself look bigger, make noise to scare it away, and NEVER play dead – that only works with grizzlies!

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As bear populations continue to grow in neighboring states, Midwest residents may need to adjust to these occasional wild visitors. Swipe up for the full story!

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