Fwd: Black bear spotted in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Duncan Morrow
Black bear spotted in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Wildlife experts monitor rare bear sightings in Western North Dakota, advise caution for park visitors
DICKINSON — Officials are tracking a rare black bear sighting in western North Dakota, believed to be the same bear moving through various locations, with recent sightings near Marmarth, Amidon, and the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
The bear was last sighted in the northern area of Theodore Roosevelt National Park on Wednesday, according to multiple sources, including Stephanie Tucker, section leader and furbearer biologist for North Dakota Game and Fish.
According to Tucker the bear appears to be in a sub-adult age group typically, predicted to be actively in search of a new habitat or mating partners.
Tucker believes the bear's final destination will not be in the southwest region.
"What it means to me as a biologist is that it is going to keep moving until it gets into some forest," she said. "Then secondarily, it's probably not going to stay in a forest where there are no other bears."
Adult Black bears will continue looking for both suitable mates and woodland habitats, with bear sightings in North Dakota being relatively common according to ND Game and Fish experts. Most sightings however occur in the eastern part of the state, which is a more suitable habitat for the species.
"We have somewhere in the neighborhood of probably 10 to 25 Black bears in the state every year, but they're typically in eastern North Dakota," explained Tucker. "They require forest habitats, and our closest breeding population is in Minnesota."
As of now, experts can only guess where the bear originally began its journey, but Tucker trusts the idea that it comes from the West, saying, "The closest breeding population of Black bears to western North Dakota is the Big Horns of Montana."
Adult Black bears will continue looking for both suitable mates and woodland habitats, with bear sightings in North Dakota being relatively common according to ND Game and Fish experts. Most sightings however occur in the eastern part of the state, which is a more suitable habitat for the species.
"We have somewhere in the neighborhood of probably 10 to 25 Black bears in the state every year, but they're typically in eastern North Dakota," explained Tucker. "They require forest habitats, and our closest breeding population is in Minnesota."
As of now, experts can only guess where the bear originally began its journey, but Tucker trusts the idea that it comes from the West, saying, "The closest breeding population of Black bears to western North Dakota is the Big Horns of Montana."