Black Bear Spotted In Ballwin Subdivision

BALLWIN, MO — Bears have been sighed in suburban St. Louis, leading police in Ballwin to warn residents to "stay alert." In a Facebook Post Sunday morning, Ballwin PD said a bear had been sighted in the 700 block of Oak Run Lane, near Ferris Park, in southwest St. Louis County. The bear was described as "large" and was last seen running through a common area between the Castle Pines subdivision and Oak Run Lane.

Police said they have contacted the Missouri Department of Conservation, and are urging residents to keep animals indoors, bring in the trash, to call them at 636-227-9636 if you spot the bear.

The post currently has hundreds of comments and thousands of shares on Facebook, indicating that people seem to be taking the sighting seriously.

At least three bears have died on Missouri highways in recent weeks. In addition, last week a bear cub was sighted at a mobile home park in Pevely, Missouri, about half an hour south of St. Louis. Experts say it is mating season, and males are ranging beyond their normal habitats in search of mates.

Black bears were once prevalent in Missouri, but were hunted extensively in the 18th and 19th centuries for their meat and fur, and have lost much of their habitats to human encroachment. Nonetheless, they have been making a comeback in recent years, with experts saying anywhere from 300 to 350 animals probably live throughout the state. Though most live in the Ozarks in southern Missouri, they have been spotted as far north as the Iowa border. Young male black bears are known to wander extensively once mom kicks them out when they're around a year and a half old, Laura Conlee, a wildlife biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, told the Whig-Herald in February.

"They're kind of looking for a place to set up shop," she said. "These young males can move huge distances."

So, be on the lookout. And be sure to share any spotted bears with Patch.

The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.

Image via Pevely Police Department